Landmine
by supernaturalsam
Summary: CHAPTER 21 is up! The verdict is in... PLEASE REVIEW! COMPLETE!
1. Continuity

**Landmine**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing…someone want to help me with that? Oh, I do own Dominic Shepard and any character I decide to make up…that's something, right?**

**Author's Note: Well, as you can see from the disclaimer, this story has Dominic Shepard in it. That's right…this must be the sequel to _Never Again_! Yay! I know, I know…it's about time, right?**

**Just so you know this picks up right where _Never Again _left off. And you know me…there will be cliffhangers in this one, because it's what I do best. I hope that you enjoy this story and as always, let me know what you think, good or bad (but preferably good…).**

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Dominic Shepard started to laugh—and not because he had something to laugh at. He just did it in order to do it. Not that he should be laughing, though. After all, he was sitting in an eight-by-ten jail cell at the River Heights Police Department, being held on numerous charges.

It was a couple of days after the fiasco at the Roxie Theater and he still refused to talk. Partly, because he needed a lawyer and partly because he wanted to see the officers squirm—especially Lieutenant B.D. Hawkins. After all, this was a huge arrest for him and it didn't look good for him that Dom still refused to talk.

Overall, Dom had to admit that things went fairly well. Well, except for the fact that Katie was still alive. He would have loved if he could have taken her life before he was caught, but that wasn't the way it was meant to be. Her death had been so crucial to him, that he felt as if he had failed. And now it even made him question if she truly was his Katie or not. Maybe he had made a mistake by going after her…

_No, _he said firmly to himself. _She wasn't a mistake! You never make mistakes!_

Dom chuckled to himself and took a seat on the bench. At least he had the cell to himself. The good officers of River Heights were afraid to put him with anyone else. And it was just as well—it gave him time to think about what his next move would be. Sure, he couldn't really do anything while he was sitting in this cell, but who said he actually needed to be out in order to cause fear and pain. He could do it just as well in here and he was already coming up with a way to do just that.

He heard footsteps and looked up as Lieutenant Hawkins approached the cell. Dom sat there on his bench, smiling and him and B.D. just glared.

"To what do I owe this visit, Lieutenant?" Dom asked.

B.D. let out a frustrated sigh. "Are you ready to talk yet, Shepard?"

"You know, I've actually been thinking about that," Dom said.

"What does that mean?" B.D. asked.

"It means, you may finally get the answers you've been waiting for," Dom said. He stood up and walked towards B.D.

B.D. pulled out his keys to unlock the cell door, but Dom stopped him.

"Not so fast, Lieutenant," Dom said. "Don't I need my lawyer present before I say anything I'm not supposed to?"

"Give me the name and I'll call him," B.D. said.

"I only want the best criminal defense lawyer in River Heights," Dom said with a chilling smile. "Carson Drew."

B.D. felt a cold fist clench around his heart. "Do you honestly think that Carson Drew is willing to represent the bastard that tried to murder his daughter not one, but twice?" B.D. hissed.

"I don't care if he's willing," Dom said. "I can be very persuasive."

"Carson Drew isn't one who's easily intimidated," B.D. said.

Dom turned his back on B.D. and sat back down on the bench. "You want me to talk? You get Carson Drew in here."

B.D. glared at Dom for a few moments before he stalked off angrily. Dom smiled as he watched B.D.'s retreating figure.

_Yep, that ought to do it, _Dom thought. _Katie's dead to me…Now it's time to hurt Nancy Drew…_

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Twenty-one year old Nancy Drew didn't know how long she had been holding Frank Hardy's hand, but she wasn't about to deny that it felt good. He was only there to comfort her after her blow-out with Ned, and there was nothing wrong with two really good friends holding hands. And that's what she loved about him—he knew to respect her boundaries and he was never one to force anything on her.

Especially when it came to her detective work. He had always admired her and respected her for her work.

_Unlike Ned_, she thought bitterly.

_Stop it! _she scolded herself. _Stop dwelling on him. It's not as if he's dwelling on you!_

_Or maybe we was…_she thought sadly.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked, cutting into her thoughts.

Nancy turned her head to face him to see concern written all over his handsome face. She gave him a small smile. "I'm just thinking."

"You were thinking so hard, I was afraid you were about to burn a hole into the ground," Frank joked.

Nancy gave a small chuckle at his attempt at a joke. _Poor Frank_, she thought. _He sure didn't have the sense of humor that Joe possessed._

Just then the backyard was bathed in a bright glow. Nancy and Frank looked up to see Frank's younger brother, Joe, walking outside.

"What's going on out here?" Joe asked, seeing that they were holding hands.

They dropped each others hands. "We just wanted to come outside and get some fresh air," Frank replied before Nancy could say anything.

"And that requires the two of you to hold hands?" Joe asked, arching an eyebrow.

Nancy and Frank both looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Is there a reason why you're out here, Joe?" Frank asked his brother, glaring.

"No, not really," Joe said. He looked around. "Where's Ned?"

He had to go," Nancy answered. "He had to get back to Chicago."

"Oh," Joe answered. Nancy wasn't sure if he believed her answer or not, but she wasn't about to fill him in. Frank could tell him later if he wanted to.

She stood up and held out her hand to Frank. "We better get back inside before everyone decides to join us out here."

Frank took her hand and she pulled him up. As they passed Joe to go inside, Frank gave him one more look. Joe just shrugged his shoulders and followed them inside.

Everyone was still in the den when the three detectives walked in.

"Where have you been, Nancy?" Bess asked.

"Yeah," George piped up. "We thought that you had left or something."

Nancy shook her head and smiled at her two best friends. "I just needed to get some fresh air."

"Where's Ned?" Carson asked.

"He wanted to get back to Chicago before it got too late," Nancy responded. "Where's B.D.?" she asked.

"He had to get back to the police station," Carson answered. "They're still waiting for Dominic Shepard to talk."

"Ned didn't even come in to tell us he was leaving," Hannah said. "I would have sent home a plate of food with him."

"You mean you still have some left?" Frank asked, sending a surprised look to his brother. "I would have thought Joe had polished it off."

Joe narrowed his eyes at his brother and Frank just gave him a shrug of his own. Before Joe could say anything to his brother, the telephone rang.

"I'll get it," Nancy said, and made her way to the phone in the kitchen. When she answered the phone, she was surprised to hear B.D.'s voice.

"Hey," she said. "We were just talking about you."

"Good things, I hope," B.D. said, with a small smile.

"Always," Nancy said.

"Is your dad still around?" B.D. asked.

Nancy nodded. "He's in the den with everyone else."

"I need to speak with him," B.D. said.

"Let me go get him," Nancy said. She went into the den to get Carson and he went into his study to use the phone

"Lieutenant," Carson said, closing the door. "What can I do for you?"

"Carson, you're not going to like my reason for calling," B.D. said. "But we need you at the station."

"B.D., it's ten o'clock at night," Carson said with a sigh. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid not," B.D. said. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time."

_Well, I'm not getting out of this one, _Carson thought wearily.

"Can you at least tell me why I need to come down there?" Carson asked.

"Again, I just need you down here," B.D. said. "I'll fill you in on everything as soon as you get here."

"All right," Carson said. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

When he walked out of his study, he was startled to see Nancy waiting out in the hall for him.

"What did he want?" Nancy asked, concerned.

"I don't know, honey," Carson said. "He just wants me to come down to the station for a bit."

"Is it about Dom?" Nancy asked.

"Again, I don't know. As soon as I know something, you'll know," Carson promised her. He slipped on his blazer and grabbed his briefcase and keys. He kissed Nancy on the cheek and said, "Don't wait up for me. I'll promise to tell you all about it tomorrow morning."

Nancy nodded and watched him walk out the door. A few moments later, she heard his car start up and drive down the quiet street.

Something about B.D.'s call made Nancy worry. She couldn't put her finger quite on it, but she knew whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Why else would he call her father to come out to the station so late at night?

Nancy let out a big yawn. Everything from the past couple of weeks seemed to finally start crashing down on her. She was exhausted, but she knew she wouldn't really get any sleep tonight.

Not when she couldn't stop wondering what B.D. could have possibly wanted.

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**Not sure when the next update will be, but you know I try not to keep you waiting for too long. As always, let me know what you think!**


	2. Pick and Choose

Carson barely had time to walk through the doors of the River Heights Police Department before B.D. Hawkins was at his side. He took Carson by the elbow and led him to his office.

"B.D., what is going on?" Carson demanded.

B.D. closed the door to his office and sat down behind his desk. When he looked at Carson, he looked very hesitant.

"Is this about Shepard?" Carson asked. He was starting to get rather impatient.

"Yes…" B.D. said. "He's willing to talk, but he has a price."

"Why did I need to be here then?' Carson asked.

B.D. let out a sigh and looked Carson right in the eyes. "You're the price, Carson. He'll only talk if you are present."

"What?" Carson asked, surprised.

"He has it in his sick little head that you're going to represent him," B.D. answered.

Carson shot up out of his seat. "That's preposterous!" he bellowed.

"I tried to tell him you would never do it in a million years, but he wouldn't hear any of it," B.D. said.

"You're right," Carson said, easing back into his chair. "How could he think I would represent him after the hell he put Nancy through? She's still suffering!"

"I know," B.D. said. "But maybe you can help us finally get him to talk. We need this confession, Carson, and you may be our only hope. Make him believe that you'll represent him."

Carson slowly shook his head. "That could get me disbarred," he said.

"I thought of that," B.D. said, nodding his head. "But you really wouldn't be going against it since you really won't be representing him."

Carson was very hesitant. After all, he had built a very reputable law firm that he was very proud of. If he did this, he would be risking a career that he had worked so hard for.

B.D. saw his reluctance and said quietly, "Do this for Nancy, Carson. Let her finally put all of this behind her and move on."

That's all the convincing that Carson needed. He would do anything for his daughter and everyone knew that. B.D. was playing Carson's weakest hand, and while it angered him a little, he also knew that B.D. was right. Nancy did need to move on and put Dominic Shepard behind her.

"He'll want to meet with me," Carson said. "Alone."

B.D. nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Carson."

"I'm not doing this for you, Lieutenant," Carson said. "I'm doing this for my daughter."

"That's all I'd ever ask," B.D. said.

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Dom looked up from where he was lying on his cot at the sound of the approaching footsteps. _Maybe Lieutenant Hawkins is a lot more resourceful than I thought…_

He smiled when he saw Hawkins and Carson Drew stop before his cell.

"I have to admit, Lieutenant, I didn't think you would come through," Dom said. "Actually, you may say that I'm even surprised."

"You said you would talk if I came," Carson said. "So, talk."

Dom smiled at Carson. "Don't you think we should have a private meeting first?' he asked. "After all, I'd hate to say something to the police that may incriminate me."

"Fine," Carson said. "Lieutenant, do you have a room that we may use?"

B.D. nodded. "Sure. Out of here, first door to the left."

Carson didn't say anything, but started towards the room that B.D. indicated. B.D. pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell door. He then pulled out a pair of shiny handcuffs and restrained Dom's hands in front of him. He grabbed Dom just above the elbow and led his to the room where Carson was waiting, briefcase open.

B.D. sat Dom in the chair opposite Carson. "I'll have one of my officers out here. Yell when you're finished."

Carson nodded and turned his attention to Dom. He was having a very hard time keeping his composure and Dom knew that. It even gave him a tiny thrill that he could have this much of an affect on River Heights' most brilliant lawyer.

"So…how's Nancy?" Dom asked.

Carson slammed his briefcase shut with a loud clang. "Don't you dare say my daughter's name!"

"I thought that would strike a nerve," Dom said with a chilling smile.

"I am not here for you," Carson hissed. "I am here as a favor to Lieutenant Hawkins. I think you should know that I still haven't agreed to represent you and it will be a cold day in hell before I agree to."

Dom seemed amused by this. "Well, grab a coat, Mr. Drew. I have a feeling it's about to get very chilly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carson asked.

"It means, you're going to represent me whether you like it or not," Dom said. "And you're going to win the case."

"Go to hell," Carson said, standing up from the table.

"I've been there," Dom said. "It's a very roomy place."

Carson seemed to finally lose his temper. He grabbed Dom by his orange jumpsuit and pushed him against the wall. All the while, Dom was laughing.

"You put my daughter through a living nightmare!" he whispered fiercely. "If you think I'm going to let you do it to her again, you are sadly mistaken! Find yourself another lawyer!"

Dom chuckled. "If you think what I did to her while I was out there was bad, you just wait and see what I can do to her from in here."

All the color drained from Carson's face and he let go of Dom just as the officer poked his head in. "Is everything all right?" the officer asked.

Carson nodded his head, while still staring at Dom in horror. The officer didn't seem convinced, but ducked back out and closed the door anyway.

"You can't touch her," Carson whispered.

"You're right—_I_ can't," Dom said. "But there are other people out there that are just _dying_ to get their turn with her. One word from me, and what I did to Nancy would look like a tiny little scratch compared to what they could do to her."

Carson breathing became labored. _Nancy_, he thought. _I can't let him do that to her. I can't lose my little girl._

"So, what do you say, Carson?" Dom asked. "Do you really want to risk your daughter's life in order to keep your pride?"

"I'll do it," Carson said, softly.

"I'm sorry…I didn't quite catch that," Dom said, bringing his cuffed hands to his ear.

"I'll do it," Carson said a little louder.

"That's what I thought you would say," Dom said. "Now, I know this is going to very hard on your relationship with Nancy, but wouldn't you rather have a strained relationship than a funeral for your little girl?"

Carson looked at Dom as if he had slapped him. "You son of a bitch," Carson said, seething.

Dom smiled at him. "Yes, actually I am. Now I think you should get home and tell Nancy the good news. We'll worry about giving my statement to the police tomorrow."

Carson said nothing as he packed up his briefcase. As he was going to the door, Dom said one more thing.

"Oh, by the way," he said, reaching down into a pocket of the jumpsuit. He pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Carson. "Give this to Nancy."

"You have got to be getting," Carson said. "Don't you think you're putting her through enough?"

"I just want her to know I'm thinking about her," Dom said. He forced the note into Carson's hand and smiled. "I think this is going to turn out to be very interesting."

Carson turned away and knocked on the door. The officer unlocked the door and grabbed Dom by the elbow to take him back to his cell. Carson walked out of the room to see B.D. standing there, waiting.

"Well?" B.D. asked. "Did he say anything?"

"He'll talk to you tomorrow," Carson said. He cleared his throat to clear the bile that had risen in it. "As of right now, I'm his lawyer."

Carson didn't stick around to see B.D.'s expression or hear what he had to say. The only thing he wanted to do now was get home and figure out some way to tell Nancy that he had just betrayed her in the worst way he knew how.

_In the morning,_ he told himself. _Allow her to have at least one more night of peace before you shatter her already fragile world._

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**Author's Note: Well, I saw that some of you were happy that I now have the sequel started. I am so glad that so many of you like Dom…he is such a fun character to write! Now, let me say before anything that some of the things in this may not make sense. This is an alternate universe story, so I have my own set of laws. While it may not be possible for Carson to really represent Dom because of conflict of interest, in my world he is able to. After all, this is fiction, so a little leeway is allowed.**

**As always, I enjoy feedback, so I ask that you leave it especially if you are taking the time to read this. As I have said before, feedback really help me progress with my story and it helps me know which direction to take my story. SO PLEASE REVIEW! (By the way, I don't mind if you critique my story…I always allow honesty in reviews because I think you would be doing me a disservice if you are being nice about it just to avoid hurting my feelings.)**

**Anyway, thanks to the few that did review! I really appreciate it andam happy that you are loving this so far! I'll try to update soon, but I'm kind of sick right now, so it may be a few days before I can update!**


	3. Full of Betrayal

When Nancy awoke the next morning, she was surprised to see her father sitting at the kitchen table. She looked at the kitchen wall clock to make sure she had the right time. Yep…it was nine o'clock.

"Hey, Dad," Nancy said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I thought you'd be at the office already."

Nancy made her way over to the coffeepot and grabbed her mug out of the cabinet. She poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat at the table. Her father hadn't answered her and he had a troubled look on his face.

"Dad, what's going on?" Nancy asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

He jerked, startled and Nancy laughed. "Something must be going on in that mind of yours."

"Oh, honey," Carson said, giving her a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just off in my own world, I guess."

Nancy took a sip of her coffee. "I can tell," she said. "So, what's on your mind, Dad?"

"Aren't you going to ask me about what happened at the police station last night?" Carson asked, eyeing his daughter.

"Oh, my God," Nancy said, slapping her forehead. "I forgot all about that!"

Carson looked at his daughter, not knowing whether she really did forget or she was waiting for him to start the conversation. _Oh well…there's no putting it off right now,_ he thought miserably.

Carson took a deep breath and grabbed Nancy's hand.

"Well, this can't be good," Nancy said. "You only hold onto my hand when you have something bad to tell me."

"The reason I was called to the station last night was because of Dominic Shepard," Carson said.

"What?" Nancy asked. "What would he want with you?"

"He wants me to represent him," Carson said softly.

Nancy scoffed. "You laughed in his face and told him to go to hell, right?"

Carson turned his gaze away from Nancy and looked at the table. Nancy slowly took her hand from his and just stared at him, shocked.

"Dad, tell me you said no," Nancy said, meekly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart," Carson said.

"Why?" Nancy asked. "What possible reason could you have to represent the…the monster that terrorized me for days?"

"Nancy, I have my reasons for wanting to do this," Carson said.

"And I deserve to know those reasons!" Nancy shouted.

"Please remember that you are still my daughter and you are not automatically privy to everything that goes on in my life!" Carson said, loudly.

"When it pertains to me, then I _do _have a right to know," Nancy protested. "And besides, you can't represent him, especially when I'll be on the stand testifying against him!"

"I can represent whomever I please," Carson said.

"So, you're telling me that you'll actually be able to stand in that courtroom and question me without any guilt at all?" Nancy asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frank, Joe, and Hannah gather around the kitchen's entrance.

"Of course it's going to hurt me, Nancy, but I really have no choice!" Carson said.

"What did he do, Dad?" Nancy asked. "What is he holding over your head?"

"Nothing, Nancy," Carson said. "He's holding nothing over my head. I chose to represent him on my own."

Nancy shook her head in disbelief. She stood up from the table and continued to stare at her father, begging for a sign that he had another reason for doing this. But his face remained neutral.

"I've got to get out of here," Nancy said, softly.

"Nancy—wait!" Carson said.

Nancy shook her head and stormed out of the kitchen, pushing through the Hardys and Hannah. The three just stared at Carson, but he refused to meet their eyes. He just stood up, grabbed his briefcase and keys off the table and walked out the door.

"I better see if Nancy is okay," Hannah said, wringing her hands on her apron.

"I'll go, Hannah," Frank said.

Before Hannah could say anything, Frank was already making his way up the stairs. He stopped in front of Nancy's door and rapped softly on it.

"Just go away," Nancy said, quietly.

"Nancy, it's Frank," he said. Not hearing a response from her, he opened her door to see she was lying on her bed. He closed the door and sat on the edge of her bed.

When Nancy looked at Frank, his heart nearly broke. She had tried to wipe her eyes before she looked at him, but he saw a couple of stray tears on her cheeks. He gently wiped them away before he spoke. "What happened?" he asked softly.

Nancy let out a laugh. "You mean you didn't hear the great screaming match of 2005?"

Frank nodded. "I heard it. In fact, I think the whole neighborhood may have heard it."

Nancy sighed. "I've never fought with him like that, Frank. My dad and I have always agreed on everything. But this—this is almost unforgivable."

Frank didn't say anything. He wanted Nancy to talk to him freely without any prompting.

"He is doing the most inexcusable thing ever," Nancy continued. "Can you believe he actually agreed to represent that monster?"

"Did he tell you why?" Frank asked.

"He said it was none of my business," Nancy said. "Frank, I have never, in all my life, felt so betrayed. And to be betrayed by my own _father_, it makes it that much worse."

"Nancy, he must have his reasons for wanting to do it," Frank said, cautiously. He didn't want to set Nancy off.

Nancy stood up and walked over to her window. She stared out into the sunlit neighborhood. "I want him to tell me the reason, Frank. I deserve to know. He's never kept anything from me before, so why start now?"

"Nancy there has to be a logical explanation for this," Frank said. "Maybe he's doing it to protect you."

Nancy whirled back around to look at him. "To protect me? From what? Dom is in jail—what could he possibly be protecting me from?"

Frank shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe he took the case to ensure that Dom got sent to jail. Did you ever think about that?"

"My dad wouldn't do that, Frank," Nancy said. "He's too ethical."

"A father would do anything to make sure his children are safe, Nancy," Frank said. "Even if that means going against his ethics."

Nancy sighed. "I don't know. Maybe you're right."

"And maybe I'm not," Frank said. "The only thing you can do is know that your father is doing this for a reason. He may not let you in on it. But you can be almost sure that it's to benefit you."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to put things into perspective?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "It's much easier for me to be angry at him."

"Maybe so," Frank said.

Nancy took a deep breath. "I guess I should apologize to him."

"How about giving him some time to think things through? Who knows? Maybe he'll be more open to you about everything," Frank said.

Nancy didn't say anything. She looked around her room and her eyes settled on her desk. Frank saw the confused look on her face.

"What is it?" he asked.

Nancy picked up an envelope. On the front was her name written in block letters. "This…it wasn't here last night when I went to bed."

Frank stood up and walked behind her. "Maybe it's a note from your dad."

Nancy shook her head. "I don't think so. This isn't in my dad's handwriting."

Nancy tore open the envelope and took out the sheet of paper that was enclosed. Her blood immediately ran cold when she started to read it.

"'Dear Nancy,'" she began. "'By now your father has given you the great news. I only regret that I couldn't be there to witness your reaction firsthand. But I do look forward to the time we'll be spending together in the coming weeks. I'll make sure to look my best for you. And just so you know, you were right. Katie is not real. But you are…You are more real to me than anything I know right now. P.S.—I can't wait until your father gets me off and we can continue where we left off.'"

"That son of a bitch," Frank muttered under his breath.

Nancy sank down to her bed and sat down. "He's never going to leave me alone, Frank," she whispered.

Frank stood in front of Nancy and brought her face up to look her in the eyes. "He's not going to be released, Nancy. No jury, in their right minds, would let him have the opportunity to wreak havoc in this town again. It's a solid case against him."

Nancy looked at the note in her hand and then at Frank again. "But you're forgetting one thing, Frank."

"What's that?" Frank asked.

"He has the best criminal defense lawyer in River Heights," Nancy said. "One that has never lost a case yet."

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**Author's Note: Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! As always, leave some feedback!**


	4. Down on the World

1Landmine

Chapter Four

When Carson pulled up to the River Height Police Station, he had to admit he felt pretty bad. In fact, if a bus was coming down the road at that exact moment, he would gladly step in front of it. Especially if it would take away the pain that he had just caused his daughter.

He grabbed his briefcase and entered the station. Though he was burning up, he immediately felt a chill in the air as he walked into the lobby. He couldn't help but notice the cold stares that he was receiving. _They would do the same thing if they were in my position, _he assured himself, but it did little to alleviate the anxiousness he felt.

He walked over to B.D.'s office and knocked on the door.

"It's open," he heard and entered the small office.

B.D. glanced up, but when he saw it was Carson, he immediately looked back down at the papers that were crowding his desk.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Drew?" B.D. asked, frigidly.

Carson sighed. _I should have known this wasn't going to be easy. But what do you expect, Carson? You're defending the one person that this whole town would care less if he dropped off the face of the earth without a peep._

"I just thought I'd let you know that I was about to talk to Dominic," Carson said.

"Well, that is part of your job, isn't it?" B.D. asked.

Carson let out another sigh. "Is it going to be like this, B.D.?" he asked. "Am I going to get attacked every single time I come in here?"

B.D. threw down his pen and glared at Carson. "Forgive my hostility, but I'm still having a hard time believing that you agreed to represent that scum. Not only has he wreaked havoc in this town, but he put your daughter through an unbearable hell!"

"I know exactly what he did to Nancy," Carson said, coldly.

"And did that at all affect your decision to represent him?" B.D. asked.

"Of course it did!" Carson bellowed. "But you have got to believe that I also have my reasons for why I have to represent him!"

"What are those reasons, Carson?" B.D. asked. "Because, by God, I can't think of anything that is more important than your daughter!"

Carson seemed to lose his steam. If he hadn't been sitting, he was sure he would have collapsed on the floor. "B.D., if I could tell you, I would. I just beg that you trust my judgement and assure yourself that I know what I'm doing."

B.D. stared at him, not speaking. Finally, after a few moments of tense silence, he was able to speak again. "I'm going to tell you right now, Carson–it's not going to be easy. You will not get my support on this. If Nancy walks through that door and she needs me, I will drop everything to help her. She needs people on her side more than you do right now."

"I would never ask for your support for me right now," Carson said. "I've hurt her in more ways than I thought was ever possible in the course of a few minutes. I promise that I will tell you more when the time is right, but right now...I can't."

B.D. was going to say something else, but decided against it. Carson stood up and grabbed his briefcase. "I shouldn't be too long with him."

"Take all the time you need," B.D. said. "It's not as if he's going anywhere."

Carson gave a small smile and left the office. B.D. watched him close the door as a thought was occurring to him. He had a sinking feeling he knew why Carson was representing Shepard, but he wasn't sure.

He only hoped that he wasn't right.

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When Carson got to the conference room, he saw that Dom hadn't been brought in yet. He was glad because he knew it was a confrontation waiting to happen. It gave him a couple of minutes to himself in order to think.

It wasn't too long before Dom was led into the room and seated across from Carson.

"Thank you, Officer," Carson said.

The officer nodded and stepped out of the room.

"Always the cordial one," Dom said.

Carson ignored him and opened his briefcase. He pulled out a legal pad and pen, and returned the briefcase to the floor beside him.

"No comment, I see," Dom said, sitting back in his seat.

"Let's just get this over with," Carson said.

"Of course," Dom said. "But before we begin, tell me–how did Nancy take the news?"

"My daughter is none of your business," Carson said.

Dom ignored him and smiled. "I bet it hurt her. Even more so than I managed to do to her."

Carson gritted his teeth and held in his retort. All he wanted to do was to get this whole thing over with and try to mend his relationship with Nancy. She was the only thing that he had left in this world, and he wasn't going to lose her to _him_.

"All right, I can take a hint when it's thrown at me," Dom said. "So...my case. How do you plan on winning it for me?"

"I'll tell you something right now, Mr. Shepard," Carson began.

Dom interrupted him. "Please, call me Dom. After all, we're going to get to know each other pretty well."

"As I was saying, _Mr. Shepard_," Carson continued, laying an unpleasant tone on his name. "Your case is not going to be an easy one to win. There is a lot of evidence against you and the prosecution is going to have a solid case against you."

"I'm not worried about anything," Dom said. "As I recall, you have never lost a case."

Carson shrugged. "There's a first time for everything."

Dom started to laugh. "Are you trying to intimidate me, Mr. Drew? Because I assure you that it will not work."

"I'm just stating what could happen," Carson said.

Dom shrugged his shoulders. "I may not have been clear to you before. You will either win my case, or I will make sure your precious Nancy doesn't live to see her twentieth birthday."

"Your threats can only take you so far," Carson said, steaming.

"They've taken me this far–what's to stop them now?" Dom asked.

Carson ignored him; there was no sense in goading him on. "How do you plan to plead, Mr. Shepard?"

"I'm really torn between two choices: not guilty or insanity. Tell me, Mr. Drew...what do you think I should go with?" Dom asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"It doesn't really matter to me what you go with," Carson snapped. "Good luck in trying to find a doctor that will classify you as insane. You knew perfectly well what you were doing when you murdered those women."

"So you say," Dom said, smiling. "But I also seem to recall I was living out a book. Some doctors would classify that as insanity."

"I would recommend you talk to a psychiatrist," Carson said.

"When is my bail hearing?" Dom asked.

"I'll try to set one up for tomorrow, but don't get your hopes up," Carson said. "Judges really don't like to let killers roam the streets."

"That's fine with me," Dom said. "It will give me time to think."

Carson stood up. "I think that's it for now. I'll let you know about the hearing."

Dom remained seated and watched as Carson packed up his things. "I was wondering if I could get a meeting with Nancy."

"Why would you want that?" Carson asked, staring at Dom.

"Just need to get a few things off my chest. Make sure there's no hard feelings between us," Dom said.

"I don't think that can be arranged," Carson said.

"I think it can," Dom said. "Besides, I may not need you after all. I'm sure she'll come in here all on her own."

"My daughter has no desire to see you again," Carson said, as he knocked on the door to let the guard know he was ready.

"Maybe...maybe not," Dom said with a chilling smile.

He watched as Carson walked out of the room.

_She'll be here...after all, she just can't stay away from me..._

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**Author's Note: Sorry about the delay in the update, but I had a very serious case of writer's block. My brain did not want to work for me, even when I begged it to. My brain can just be so stubborn sometimes! I want to thank everyone who has read this so far, and have been anxiously awaiting an update. I just have a lot going on right now, with school and everything, and it's hard for me write like I want to.**

**I also want to warn you that there may not be another update for a while. I am currently working on another story, but it will be a while before that is posted, as well. I am making sure I have a lot written on it so I don't leave ya'll hanging again! I am just letting _Landmine_ come to me as it unfolds, so please don't be angry with me!**

**I would like to thank katie janeway and tesubcalle for being there for me while I worked this out. You guys have listened to my ideas and complaints and have been there offering your support. Thank you so much!**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	5. To Fear or Not To Fear

B.D. Hawkins jumped up startled when Nancy stormed into his office, Frank barely able to keep up with her.

"Nancy! What is going on?" B.D. asked, recovering slightly from his shock. He sat back down in his chair and looked up at Nancy.

"Where is he?" Nancy demanded, fire burning in her blue eyes.

"Who?" B.D. asked, not sure if she was talking about her father or Dom.

"You know damn well who I'm talking about!" Nancy said. B.D. has never seen an angrier look on anyone than at that moment. "Where are you holding that murderous jerk?"

"You know very well I can't let you see him," B.D. said, calmly. "Especially with your father representing him."

"I don't care!" Nancy cried.

B.D. looked back at Frank for some explanation, but Frank merely shrugged his shoulders and gave him a "you're-about-to-find-out" look.

Nancy pulled out the note she had received from Dom and threw it on B.D.'s desk.

"What is this?" he asked.

"What do you think it is?" Nancy asked sharply, every ounce of patience gone.

B.D. shot her a warning glance, but she ignored it. Instead of arguing with her, he opened the note and started to read it. Soon, his face matched the color of the red folder that was lying on his desk. He gave the note back to Nancy.

"I'll take care of this right now," B.D. said, standing up.

"No!" Nancy said. "I need to do it. I'm not going to let him have the satisfaction that he can intimidate me from a jail cell."

"Nancy, I can't let—"B.D. began, but Nancy cut him off.

"B.D., I never ask you for anything. But I need to do this," Nancy said. "Turn your head, stare down at the folder, I don't care. Pretend that you didn't see me enter this office."

B.D, though for a moment and finally sighed. "He's in holding cell two. As far as I'm concerned, I never saw you."

Nancy let out a sigh of relief and flashed him an innocent smile. "When was I in your office?"

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"Nancy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Frank asked, as the officer led them to the holding area.

"No, I'm not sure," Nancy said. "But I refuse to be his victim anymore. I should be able to put all of this behind me and move on, but he refuses to let me."

"I'm not saying you should let him get to you," Frank said. "I just don't like the hell you're putting yourself through."

Nancy gave him a small smile as the officer opened to door to the holding area. "Hey, Shepard! You got visitors!"

The office nodded at Frank and Nancy and they walked into the small corridor that housed three different cells. Nancy looked in each of them and saw that only the second one was occupied.

"Let me know when you're finished," the officer said.

Nancy nodded and watched as the officer closed the door. Then she forced herself to look at Dominic Shepard. It was the face that would be seared into her memory for years to come—the dark hair that shaped his face and the incredibly icy blue eyes that were almost impossible for any human to have. _Human…_Nancy thought. _Dominic Shepard's no human; maybe that's why they don't look out of place on him._

But now those blue eyes seemed even more intense than she remembered them to be. It was almost as if she was staring into a dark, forbidden abyss. He must have sensed the affect that he was having on her, because he flashed a chilling smile. Nancy felt Frank giver her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Well, if it isn't little Miss Detective and the Boy Wonder," he jeered as he walked over to stand in front of the bars.

Nancy swallowed hard. She thought she was going to be able to confront him, but seeing the look on his face, she wasn't so sure of that decision. "I—I just wanted to—"

Dom chuckled. "Cat got your tongue?" he mocked. Then his voice turned cold. "I know what I would like to do to your tongue."

At those words, Nancy felt a wave of anger go through her body. She wouldn't be his victim anymore! "But you can't do it, can you _Dominic_? It's hard to do much of anything from in there."

Dom smiled at her. "There's that passion I like," he said.

"I think you earn a round of applause, Dom. That was some little stunt you pulled," Nancy said.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Dom said, with mock surprise.

"Don't play stupid, Dom. We both know that you're not," Nancy said.

Dom grinned at her. "It's good to hear that you acknowledge that," he said.

Nancy ignored him. "The note, Dom," she said, slightly annoyed. "What were you hoping to accomplish with that?"

Dom feigned innocence. "Why, I have no idea what you're talking about, love."

"If you thought for one minute that you could scare me, then you were seriously mistaken," Nancy said in an icy voice. "I'm not afraid of you, Dom."

Dom studied her for a long moment. Then, without warning, he launched his arm out and grabbed her by the throat. Caught by complete surprise, Nancy struggled to pry his hand away from her throat, but to no avail. From the corner of her eye, she saw Frank rush forward to help her, but Dom only increased his hold on her. Finally, Frank delivered a swift chop to don's wrist and he let go of her. Nancy fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

Frank knelt down beside Nancy. "Are you all right?" he asked, frantically.

Nancy nodded and looked up as Dom chuckled.

"Good thing Boy Wonder was here, huh, Nancy?" he mocked.

Nancy allowed Frank to help her up as she glared at Dom. But before she could say anything to him, the officer that had escorted them, came back.

"Is everything okay in here?" he asked. "I thought I heard some commotion."

Frank was about to say something when Nancy spoke. "Everything's fine," she said coldly as she continued to glare at Dom.

Frank was about to protest when Nancy tore her gaze from Dom to send him a fierce look. The officer looked doubtful, but walked back out, anyway. Frank stared at her, eyes wide. Nancy knew he wasn't happy, but she wasn't worried about his feelings right then.

Dom smiled at Nancy when she looked at him again. "Very nice, Nancy—lying to an officer of the law. What _will_ you do next?"

"I didn't do that for you," Nancy said.

Dom shrugged. "I think you may be warming up to me, after all."

"It will be a cold day in hell before I warm up to you," Nancy spat at him.

"Then make sure you bundle up, sweetheart," Dom said sweetly.

Nancy felt like decking him, but knew that would only help his case.

"Don't come in here and tell me you're not scared, Nancy," Dom said, in a deadly calm voice. "I can see right through your little bravado façade."

"Believe what you want, Dom," Nancy said.

"I'll always be with you, Nancy. I'll be in every single dream that you have. Every time you look in a mirror, you will see me standing behind you. Every where you go and everything you do, I'll be there. And let's not forget that little gift I gave you. Even you said it yourself—you'll have the scar to remind you of the time we shared together."

Nancy couldn't control the tremor that went through her body. Frank saw it and put a hand on her arm and gently pulled her away from Dom.

"Like I said, Nancy—you're afraid of me, whether you want to admit it or not," Dom said with satisfaction on his voice.

Frank stepped in front of Dom and fixed him with his own withering glance. "You may think you're able to intimidate everyone, Shepard, but let's see how that does for you when you're resting comfortably in an eight by ten cell for the rest of your life."

Dom returned the look. "Maybe you haven't heard, but I have the best lawyer around. I'll never see the inside of a prison." He dropped his voice to a cold whisper so only Frank could hear him. "Nancy and I still have a dance we need to finish. And when I'm through with her, you'll wish I killed her back at the theater. Even you can't protect your little flower forever, Boy Wonder."

Frank stepped back, feeling an uncontrollable rage burning inside of him. He wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face, once and for all.

"Go to hell, Shepard," Frank said, coldly.

Dom smiled at him. "I hear it's nice and toasty there."

Frank turned his back to him and didn't miss the questioning look Nancy was sending him. He grabbed her arm and walked her to the door. He knocked to let the officer know they were ready.

"Oh, Nancy," Dom said, as if a thought had just struck him. Nancy and Frank turned to look at him as the officer opened the door. "That note you were asking about? You may want to ask your father about that. I'm sure he'll be able to enlighten you on its mysterious appearance."

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**Another update soon! Let me know what you think!**


	6. Unwilling Participants

Nancy and Frank didn't say anything to each other until they were sitting in Nancy's baby blue Ford Mustang convertible. She put the key in the ignition and looked over at Frank. He was absolutely fuming and he wasn't doing anything to hide that fact. She only wondered if it was because of her or whatever Dom had said to him.

"What the hell did that accomplish?" Frank asked, angrily.

"What did Dom say to you?" Nancy asked at the same time.

They were too angry and frustrated to laugh at themselves.

"Well?" Frank asked before Nancy had a chance to repeat her question.

Nancy rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. When she looked up at Frank, she could see that same frustration was written all over his handsome face.

"I don't know," Nancy said, for the lack of a better answer. What had she accomplished? If anything, it was that Dom was right—she had given him the satisfaction that he had seeked from her.

"Do you know how incredibly stupid that was for you to confront him like that?" Frank demanded. "You did exactly what he wanted you to do! You played right into his demented hands!"

"Do you think I don't know that, Frank?" Nancy said, blowing up. "Do you think that I don't know that I gave him exactly what he wanted? I was stupid, okay? I should have let the police handle it instead of flying in there, thinking I could make him stop."

Frank let out a weary sigh. "I'm sorry, Nan. I didn't mean to be so angry with you."

"Yes, you did," Nancy said softly.

"You're right—I did," Frank said which surprised Nancy. He saw her expression and quickly explained. "I didn't want you to confront him, but there was nothing I could do to stop you. I don't know if anyone's told you, but you're incredibly stubborn. When you make up your mind, no matter how rash it may be, there is nothing that will change it."

Nancy nodded and remained silent. She knew he was right; once her mind _was _made up there was usually nothing that could be done to change it. People had always told her that her stubbornness was a good quality when it came to her cases, but one day it would eventually catch up to her.

Frank touched her hand. "But I don't think you're stupid. Foolish, yes. But never stupid. You're the most intelligent woman that I know. And anything you decide to do, you can be sure that I'll be there to support you every step of the way."

Nancy smiled at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered.

Frank beamed his own brilliant smile at her. "That's what friends are for."

Nancy removed her hand from his and brought it up to start the car. Before she turned the key, she looked back at Frank. "What did he say to you?"

Frank's smile fell and he stiffened. "Don't worry about it," he said.

Nancy shook her head. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me what he said to you."

Frank shrugged his shoulders. "I'm prepared to sit here all day," he said. "I don't want to talk about it." He turned away from her to look out his window.

Nancy put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. While Frank may have been exuding anger in his voice, his eyes told a completely different story. There was an undeniable fear in his deep brown eyes; a fear that she had seen on a few rare occasions.

"What is it, Frank?" she asked, gently.

Frank hesitated and Nancy continued to gaze at him intently. He knew she wasn't going to let up until he told her. He let out a long sigh. "He said he wasn't through with you yet. Somehow he was going to get off and when he did, he was going to finish where he left off. He practically guaranteed I—or anyone, for that matter—would be able to keep you safe."  
Nancy held his gaze for a few moments longer and then shrugged. "They're just threats, Frank."

"He's gone through with every single one of his so far," Frank pointed out. "For God's sake, Nan, he just attacked you in there, from the inside of a jail cell!"

Nancy's hand absently went to her neck. It was still a little tender and she was sure it would start to bruise soon. "He caught me off guard, Frank."

"That's just it," Frank said. "If he's able to get you like that, then what _is_ to stop him from going after you again? What will he do to make sure that nothing stands in his way from getting to you?"

"He won't have that chance," Nancy said.

Frank sighed in exasperation. "How can you be sure of that, Nancy?" he asked.

"I'm not!" Nancy cried. "Frank, I'm not sure of anything right now! But I can't keep thinking about the 'what ifs'. If I do, then I'll drive myself crazy!"

"I don't mean to scare you," Frank said.

"You're not scaring me, Frank," Nancy said. "You're telling me things that I just don't want to voice to myself."

She started the car and began to back out of her parking spot.

"Where are we off to now?" Frank asked, trying to change the subject.

"First, I'm going to the doctor to get these stupid stitches out and then I think it's time I got some answers from my dad," Nancy said.

"Do you really think he knows anything about that note?" Frank asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to believe anything that Dom has told me," Nancy said. "But I have every intention of finding out."

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Dom could hear the distant echoes of footsteps as Nancy and Frank walked away. He pushed away from the bars and walked over to his cot. He lay down and stared at the ceiling, thoughts swirling in his morbid mind.

Did they honestly think they could come in here and threaten him? Did they forget who he was? What he had done to them? What he was still capable of?

But he had to admit that he was a little turned on by Nancy's passion. It was the one quality that had drawn him to her in the first place. _My God, was she full of passion…_

But she was also stupid; she knew that as well. Even though she did her best to hide it, he could still see the fear in her blue eyes. But it was her passion that had driven her here to confront him. It was that passion that didn't allow her to think of the consequences for coming here. But he was glad that she did—and he knew that note would be the thing to bring her to him.

He closed his eyes and brought to memory her face. Her bright blue eyes and her long titian hair—she truly was a beauty. Under normal circumstances, she would be the girl he would bring home to his mother.

Dominic chuckled to himself. _Well, he would if he hadn't killed his mother all those years ago…_

He startled as another feeling went through his besides the burning rage he had for Nancy. It was a feeling he didn't want to admit to himself, but there it was, nagging at him. He was actually feeling a flutter in his chest, just thinking about Nancy.

Could it be that he actually had feelings for Nancy?

Dom snapped his eyes open and sat up. He stood up and began to pace around the small cell. _No! You hate her! Look where she's put you!_

He thought back to when he had his hands around her delicate throat. Why hadn't he given it that one final squeeze? Because a very tiny part of him wanted to spare her?

_No! You would have gone through with it if Boy Wonder hadn't interfered! _his brain screamed at him. _Fight these ugly feelings that you're having! Remember the look on her face as you were choking her…_

Dom smiled as the recollection took control of his mind. Her face had been a mask of sheer terror and it thrilled him more than anything in the world. She thought she had been so safe with him locked securely in jail, but he had shattered that thought. He had shown her how wrong she was. And he would make sure she never felt safe again as long as he was breathing.

And he would show Boy Wonder that he would never be able to keep her truly safe.

Dominic's ears perked up when he heard the sound of shuffling feet next to him. He remained silent until he heard a male voice.

"You're the guy that's been killing those women, aren't you?" asked a timid voice.

"What if I am?" Dom asked, slightly annoyed that he wasn't alone. He could have sworn that the other cells were vacant. _Great,_ he thought disgusted. _Now this little prick will tell the cops that I haven't been playing nice…_

"I've been hearing about you," the voice said.

"Yeah?" Dom asked. "You and everyone else in this state."

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

"Got bored. Wanted something to do to pass the time," Dom said. "Who are you?"

"Dean—Dean Sayers," he answered.

"And why are you so interested in me, Dean?" Dom asked. "Trying to get some information for the incompetent people you call a police force in this little town?"

"Are you kidding?" Dean asked. "I wouldn't help these guys if my life depended on it."

"What then?" Dom asked.

"What's it like to kill someone?" Dean asked, with morbid fascination.

Dom smiled as he heard the eagerness in the stranger's voice. _What the hell,_ he thought. _It would be good to share his knowledge with someone else._

"You ever do drugs, Dean?" Dom asked.

Dean hesitated before he answered. "A few times," he admitted.

"Have you ever been high?" Dom asked.

"Maybe once or twice," Dean said.

"Killing someone is even better than that," Dom said. "It's almost euphoric in a way, knowing that you are capable of ending a life without any remorse at all."

"So you enjoy it?" Dean asked.

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't," Dom said, chuckling.

"Who was that girl that came to see you?" Dean asked. "She's pretty."

"She's beautiful," Dom said, softly. "And she's the reason I'm in this hellhole."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

Dom rolled his eyes. _Was this guy really this dense?_ "Do you pay attention to the news? I've been the star for the past few days. And the lovely Miss Drew has been my reluctant costar."

"It's hard to watch the news when you've been in this can for the last few days," Dean muttered. "Wait—did you say Drew?"

"So the name means something to you," Dom said. "I was afraid you were turning out to be the village idiot, Dean."

"I'm not a complete idiot. Anyone who lives here knows the name Drew," Dean said. "Besides, it seems to me that you're the idiot if you were stopped by a teenager."

Dom felt anger rise in his chest, but he suppressed it before he could explode. He wasn't about to let some low-life bring him down.

"I wasn't caught by _some teenager,_" Dom snapped. "I would have killed her if the police hadn't shown up when they did."

"I've heard talk about her," Dean said. "Criminals are willing to risk everything in order to be the one who kills her."

"I didn't go after her because I would be idolized, Dean," Dom said, disgusted. "I went after her because I was meant to. Fate told me we were supposed to be together."

Dean scoffed. "You're one of those sickos?" he asked.

Dom ignored him. "And what did you do to land in here, Dean?"

"Violated a restraining order," Dean answered.

"You're no different than I am," Dom said.

"I don't go around killing innocent women," Dean said. "Besides, Jessie loves me."

"I've heard that restraining orders were replacing flowers and candy as romantic gestures," Dom said, mocking him.

"Whatever, man," Dean said.

Dom smiled. He was starting to get to him. _Well, let's see if he's any different than I am…_

"When do you get out of here?" Dom asked.

"Sometime soon," Dean answered.

"How would you like to break away from the kiddie games?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, confused.

"I need to send a message to Nancy and her little lapdog. And since I won't be getting out of here anytime soon, I'm not able to do it myself," Dom explained. "Do you think you could help me?"

Dom was answered with silence.

"Dean? Are you ready to step up to the plate?" Dom asked.

Dom thought Dean was going to blow him off when he finally answered him.

"What do you need me to do?" Dean asked.

Dom smiled a brilliant smile. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

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**Author's Note: General consensus? Everyone thinks that Dom is a bastard. And I have to tell you that makes me very happy. It is very hard to create a memorable villain and when an author is able to do that and receive wonderful feedback about him, then she is doing something right! I've had several ask if he haunts my dreams…the answer is yes. But this is how I get my ideas for my chapters. I write Dom the way I do because he talks to me (That sounds crazy, I know, but he really does).**

**As always, let me know what you think. I love to read my feedback because it keeps me going!**


	7. Confession

Chapter Seven

A couple of hours later, Nancy had dropped Frank off at her house and was on her way to her father's law office. Frank had wanted her to wait until tonight to talk to Carson, but Nancy couldn't do it. Especially if there was that slim chance that Dom was telling her the truth.

She found a parking spot in front of his office and hurried and pulled in. She put money in the parking meter and jogged up the short flight of stairs. When she walked in, she saw Ms. Hanson sitting behind her desk.

"Nancy, dear—what brings you here?" she asked, beaming.

"I need to talk to Dad. Is he in?" Nancy asked.

Ms. Hanson nodded. "He just got back in."

"Thanks," Nancy said. She knocked on his door and poked her head in.

"Nancy!" Carson said, looking up from his paperwork. "What are you doing here, honey?"

"Can I come in?" Nancy asked.

"Of course," Carson said.

Nancy stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She then took the seat across from her father.

"I need to talk to you," Nancy said.

"Sure," Carson said. "What about?"

"I did something which you may or may not approve of," she said, slowly.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to approve?" Carson sighed. Then he glanced at Nancy's neck and saw the faint bruising.

"What happened to your neck?" he asked. "That's not from the other day, is it?"

Nancy shook her head. "It's from today," she answered.

Carson folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat. "I'm listening."

"I know I'm not supposed to under the circumstances, but I went to see Dom," Nancy said.

"What?" Carson exploded, pounding his fists on the desk, causing Nancy to jump. "Are you crazy, Nancy?"

"That seems to be the question of the day," Nancy joked, weakly.

"Do you know what this could do to the case?" Carson asked.

"I had to do it, Dad!" Nancy exclaimed.

"I thought you were trying to be as far away as possible from him," Carson said. "What reason could you possible have for going to see him?"

"This," Nancy said, pulling out the note. She handed it to Carson and watched his facial expressions as he read the note. She saw his face turn from a beet red to a ghostly pale in a matter of seconds.

"He told me you knew something about that note, Dad," Nancy said, quietly. "Is he right?"

Carson looked at Nancy, horror written all over his distinguished face. At that moment, he looked many years older to Nancy.

"He was, wasn't he?" Nancy asked. "What do you know about it?"

"I can't do this anymore," Carson whispered more to himself than Nancy.

"You can't do what?" Nancy asked.

"You were right earlier when you said I have another reason for representing Dominic Shepard," Carson began.

"I knew it," Nancy said, her blue eyes blazing.

"He said he would continue to go after you unless I agreed to represent him," Carson said.

"What?" Now it was Nancy's turn to explode. "But, Dad, I don't understand why you caved in to him. You've had people threaten you my threatening me before. Why did you cave in?"

Carson ran his hands over his face and looked up at Nancy with tired eyes. "Nancy, we know what this man is capable of." he started to tick off points on his fingers as he explained. "He killed Ann just for the mere thrill of it. He killed Brenda because he saw how she bothered you so much. He came into our home and stabbed you, out of a fit of rage. He nearly killed Nikki because he was so frustrated with himself for stabbing you. He kidnapped both Frank and Ned, attacked Joe, kidnapped you, and then wanted you to choose who he would kill next. And then when his plan went to hell and back, he tried to kill you again."

"Dad, I already know all of this," Nancy said.

"He's not finished with you, honey, and that scares me more than you know. He says if I don't represent him at the trial, he'll make sure you never see your twentieth birthday. I can't risk your life over my pride," Carson said.

Nancy sighed. "Do you want to know where these bruises on my neck came from, Dad?" she asked.

Carson looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"They came from Dom—today. He was able to attack me from a jail cell. So no matter if you represent him or not, he's not going to let up. He's just trying to see how many people he can weave into his twisted web of manipulation," Nancy said.

"I've already agreed to do it, Nancy," Carson said. "I can't back out of it now."

"You're not going to win this case, are you?" Nancy asked.

"There is no way in hell I'm going to let that bastard walk the streets again," Carson said, angrily.

"You can't throw the case," Nancy said. "It will get you disbarred."

"I won't have to," Carson said. "The evidence against him is astronomical. Besides, with the testimony of the prosecution, he has no chance with getting off from the charges."

"What if he does?" Nancy asked.

"I don't want you to worry about a thing," Carson said, coming around his desk. Nancy stood up and he gave his daughter a hug. "I'm going to take care of it all."

"Dad—" Nancy said.

"I'll make sure he never hurts you again," Carson said more to himself than Nancy.

Nancy didn't say anything else as her father continued to embrace her. She knew what her father was capable of, but was he willing to risk it all in order to put one man in jail for the rest of his life?

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"Your Honor, it would be a travesty if you allowed Dominic Shepard to walk the streets again, while he awaited trial. He has killed two women and he almost succeeded in killing for more people. The prosecution believes if he is allowed bail, there is no doubt that he will try again, should he be allowed that chance. He is a vicious man with no respect whatsoever to any living being."

Dom let a small smile play on his lips as he watched Assistant District Attorney Gwen Lawson return to her table and take a seat. She was a tall, beautiful woman with long raven hair and bright green eyes, who walked with the grace of a ballerina.

_Maybe this trial wouldn't be such a bad thing_, he thought. Now he would have two beautiful women to look at. Though Gwen wasn't nearly as beautiful as Nancy…

He felt a thrill go through his as he thought of Nancy. But it went away quickly as Carson Drew stood up and approached the podium that was in the center of the courtroom.

"Mr. Drew," Judge Nigel Cunningham said.

"Your Honor, everything that ADA Lawson said is true about my client," Carson began. "But there is no proof that my client will continue killing if he is released on bail. Everyone deserves a second chance, even people like my client. He poses no flight risk so he will be here when his trial begins."

Carson unfastened his blazer and took his seat beside Dominic. Carson knew everything he had just uttered his mouth had been a lie. But he also knew there was no way the judge was about to let him out on bail—especially not Nigel Cunningham. Carson had known him for years and they played golf together once a month.

Judge Cunningham cleared his throat. He was a stocky man with thinning silver hair and pale blue eyes, but when he commanded everyone's attention.

"After hearing both arguments, I'm going to have to side with the prosecution. Mr. Shepard is too much a danger to society and I can't take the risk of him continuing his heinous rampage. Bond if therefore denied." He banged his gavel and nodded at the bailiff. "Bailiff, please escort Mr. Shepard back to his cell. Mr. Drew, please meet me in my chambers."

Carson watched as the bailiff took Dom away and then made his way to the familiar chambers of Nigel Cunningham. When he pushed open the door the doors, he could see Nigel shrugging out of his robes.

"How are you, Carson?" Nigel asked.

"I'm good," Carson said, sitting down. "And yourself?"

"Just getting older," Nigel said, chuckling.

Carson smiled. "I know the feeling."

Nigel studied his old friend for a long time before he sat down. "This is a losing case, Carson. Why are you doing this?"

"Maybe I want to lose," Carson said.

"You're willing to risk your career on this scum?" Nigel asked.

Carson sighed and gave his friend a helpless shrug. "I've been doing this for years, Nigel. Maybe it's time I threw in the towel."

"There are other ways—honorable ways—to do that. You can't take a case and throw it away on purpose. You will lose all of the respect of your peers and you will be criticized for many years to come."

"I've never cared about what people thought about me. Why should I start now?" Carson asked.

"I know you were never one to care about that, Carson. I just want you to think about the consequences," Nigel said. "If someone catches you throwing the case, you will be disbarred and Dominic Shepard will walk away a free man."

"I'm not throwing the case," Carson assured him. "I will defend him the same way I defend all of my clients. But no jury in their right minds will allow him to be free for many years."

"I hope you're right, Carson," Nigel said. "For your sake—and your daughter's."

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**Author's Note: Yay! Another update! Some of you have wondered why Carson caved in so easy, so I had Nancy address the issue. Sorry for the delay in the update, but I have 2 research papers due, a new nephew that was just born 2 weeks ago, and a bunch of tests. If I get my butt in gear, you will get another update soon! (And bribes help, also...)**

**So, read and review! **


	8. In Session

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Dean Sayers asked Dom, uncertainty clearly evident in his voice.

Dom chuckled. "Are you doubting me?" he asked in a cold voice.

"No, it's just…" Dean hesitated.

"Just what? Are you having second thoughts?" Dom asked.

"I'm just worried about getting caught," Dean said. "If I get arrested again, they're going to ship me off to prison."

"Then don't get caught," Dom said, slightly annoyed. He couldn't believe it. This kid really was doubting him! "Haven't you learned to take risks every once in a while? If you spend your life tip-toeing around because you're afraid of getting caught, then you're going lead a very dull life, Dean."

"I do want to take risks. Just tell me how I can do it without getting caught," Dean said, almost pleading with him.

"I can't tell you how to do everything," Dom said. "Tell me now, Dean—can I count on you or not?"

"No, no. I'll do it," Dean said quickly, eager to please the man he barely knew.

"Good," Dom said, smiling.

Just then the buzzer sounded indicating someone was coming into the holding area. Two officers, one chubby with thinning hair and the other tall and lean with bright red hair, entered. As they passed Dom's cell, they gave him a mock salute.

"Don't tell me you're here for me, Officers," Dom said, feigning surprise.

"In you dreams, Shepard," the chubby one said, chuckling.

"You might as well make yourself comfortable," said Officer Beanpole. "You're in for the long haul."

Dom pushed away from the bars, amused. He sat down on the cot and let the officers go about their business.

"Come on, Sayers. You've overstayed your welcome," Officer Chubby said. He unlocked the door and Dean Sayers walked out, giving Dom the first look of his protégé.

And what he saw kind of surprised him. In front of him stood the All-American Boy: tall and muscular, with close-cropped blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was even sure this guy had been the star quarterback and the guy all the girls wanted. _How can this guy be afraid of a tiny risk like being caught? _Dom thought. _Why would he even agree to help me?_

"Dom looked at the officers. "Well, now who am I supposed to talk to?"

"I'm sure the voices in your head will keep you company," Officer Beanpole said and he and Officer Chubby started laughing.

"Hmmm…" Dom said, nodding his head. He watched as the officers led Dean out of the holding area and then lay down on his cot.

While he didn't have complete trust and faith in Dean, a part of him knew that he wouldn't let him down. He wasn't sure if that was out of fear or admiration but he would take anything that he could get.

And the worst thing that would happen to Dean would be a minor stint in prison. That was, of course, if Nancy didn't hurt him. Maybe he should have warned Dean that Nancy was a fighter. But then again, that would have spoiled the fun for him. He couldn't tell the kid how to do everything. After all, no one warned him about Nancy…

The buzzer to the holding area sounded again and Dom sat up. Footsteps ceased in front of his cell and he saw that Officer Chubby was back.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me alone for long, Officer," Dom said. "So, what can I do for you now?"

"The Doc's here to see you," he said, unlocking the cell door. "You need a professional to tell you you're a nut job, Shepard? Hell, I could have done it for free."

"I sure you could have, Officer," Dom said walking towards the officer. "But I'm afraid your opinion wouldn't have held up in court."

Officer Chubby just shook his head and fastened a pair of handcuffs on Dom's wrists. He then grabbed him by the arm and led him to the visitation area where a woman with short, spiky red hair and green eyes, wearing a white lab coat and glasses, was waiting. She looked up as the officer sat Dom in front of a chair in front of her. The doctor waited until the officer left before she began.

"Mr. Shepard, I'm Doctor Sullivan. Mr. Drew called me and would like me to evaluate you," she said.

Dom grinned at her. "Well, Dr. Sullivan, it is very nice to meet you," he said. "But I have a feeling we're going to become really good friends, so, please, call me Dom."

"Dom it is, then," she said with a smile.

Dom smiled his most disarming smile while he studied her. She wasn't beautiful but she wasn't bad to look at either. But he wasn't worried about that. He already had a woman in his heart and he didn't want to jeopardize that. All he needed was for the nice doctor to think he was crazy so he could be with that certain woman.

"So, what do you want to know?" Dom asked.

"Before we begin, do you mind if I record this?' she asked, pulling out a small black tape recorder out of her bag.

"By all means, please do," Dom said.

Doctor Sullivan pushed the Record button and spoke into it. "This is Doctor Madison Sullivan in session with case number 4281930—Dominic Shepard. Today is April 12, 2006 and the time is 3:15 pm. Mr. Shepard has consented to this session being recorded."

Doctor Sullivan looked at Dom. "Well, Dom—I guess we'll start with the most obvious question: Why did you kill those women?'

Dom shrugged. "I had to," he said matter-of-factly.

"Do you care to elaborate?' she asked.

"I killed them because the book told me to," Dom said.

"'The book told you to'," she repeated. "Which book told you to do this?"

"_Never Again_," Dom said. "It was almost as if it was a guide for me."

"Explain that to me," she said.

"The author, Ann Granger, she wrote about a serial killer. It was as if she was writing about me. It was as if she had gotten into my head and wrote about everything I was thinking," Dom explained.

"So you think she wrote the book for you?' Doctor Sullivan asked.

"Yeah," Dom said, quietly. Then he looked up at her with eyes that chilled her blood. "But she got it all wrong."

"How do you mean?" she asked, slightly startled.

Dom let out a long sigh. "Did you read the book?"

Doctor Sullivan nodded her head. "I think everyone read that book."

"At the end of the book, Katie doesn't die," Dom said, bitterly.

"And you didn't agree with that," she said.

Dom shook his head vehemently. "Ann needed to know that. She had to be punished for the mistake that she made."

"And you couldn't just write her and tell her that?" Doctor Sullivan asked.

"No," Dom said.

"So by killing her, you were punishing her?' she asked. She pulled off her glasses and looked at Dom. "What about the others?"

"You know what they say, Doc—you can't just kill one," he said, laughing at his morbid joke. "But seriously, those were for Katie."

She looked down at the small tablet that was sitting in her lap. "This Katie—that would be Nancy Drew, correct?"

Dom chuckled again. "That's what everyone calls her, but she was my Katie."

"Why do you say the other attacks were for Katie?" Doctor Sullivan asked.

"The second girl, Brenda, she would upset Katie for no reason at all. I didn't like that so she had to be stopped," Dom said. "After that, it was Katie that I wanted. For some reason she refused to fear me and it was if she was waving that in front of my face. She was supposed to die, even if the book didn't agree with me. I didn't want to hurt her that first time, but she wouldn't stop fighting me." Dom started to shake with anger. "She can make me so _angry_!"

Doctor Sullivan put a comforting hand on his arm and he stopped. "But the second time—you wanted to kill her?" she asked.

"I had to, don't you see?" he asked, desperate for her to agree with him. "These voices in my head wouldn't stop jeering me. It was as if she was in my head constantly and the only way to get her out was to kill her. Killing her would have made everything better."

"But you didn't succeed," she said. "So, are the voices still bothering you?"

"All the time," he admitted.

Doctor Sullivan clicked off the recorder. "I think we'll stop there for today."

"So am I crazy, Doc?" he asked.

"Do you think you are?" she asked, studying him.

Dom shrugged. "That's for you to tell me. That's why you get paid the big bucks."

"I haven't made my decision yet," she said, packing up her bag. "I would like to meet with you again, if that's okay."

"Sure," Dom said. "There's nothing else to do in this hellhole."

Doctor Sullivan finished packing and knocked on the door to let the officer know she was ready to leave. The officer came in and grabbed Dom's arm as the doctor left the room.

"So what's the verdict, Shepard?" he asked.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality," Dom said in a sing-sing voice. "You ought to know that, Officer."

Dom smiled with mild satisfaction as Officer Chubby escorted him back to his cell. The session did go well. He had seen the fear in the Doc's eyes as he was talking. He had to admit that he amazed himself in his ability to get people to believe anything he wanted.

He whistled a jolly tune as the officer closed the door and walked away.

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**Sorry for the lull in the update, but I had a lot of things to do for school. I hate to tell you there will be another slight lull before another update, but the semester is almost over meaning I will have more time to write. YAY!**

**Sidenote: Pay attention to the case number because it does have some importance attatched to it. You won't win anything if you guess, but it will just be fun to see if you know what it is. As always, I ask that you let me know what you think, good or bad (I can take it...I'm a big girl). **

**Oh, and a big thanks to my betas...You girls sure know how to keep me in line!**


	9. Forgiveness & Stuff

Landmine Chapter 9

"I'm really sorry that we have to leave," Frank said to Nancy. She, Frank, and Joe were standing by the boys' rental van, which they had just packed.

"It's okay, Frank," Nancy assured him. "Besides, the trial isn't for another two months."

"Still, if we didn't have to help out Dad on a case, we could stay here," Frank said.

Nancy tilted her head at him. "For two months? Frank, I know River Heights is a hopping little town, but we're not that entertaining. And you would go crazy in no time, especially with no case to solve."

"What about you?" Frank asked.

"I could use a good lengthy break," Nancy said.

"If you get too bored, you know you're always welcome in Bayport," Frank said. "It's not that long of a drive."

Nancy let out a rueful laugh. "Do we remember what happened the last time I drove up?"

"Yeah, you broke your leg, witnessed a 'pretend' murder, made my brother _insanely_ jealous, and almost got yourself killed," Joe spoke up. He let out a sigh. "Good times…_good times_."

Frank sent Joe a look that could have melted iron. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked, annoyed.

"Not this second—no ," Joe said, smiling at his brother.

Nancy laughed. "He's just trying to get at you, Frank," she said. "But he is right, you know."

"Fine. You can fly up to see us, then," Frank said through gritted teeth.

"This never gets old," Joe said, amused.

"It's almost four o'clock," Nancy said, changing to subject before the brothers got into a fight. "You're going to miss your flight if you don't leave."

Frank stopped glaring at Joe long enough to give Nancy a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Call us if you need _anything_."

"I promise," Nancy said.

Joe stepped up and gave her a hug as well. "We'll be back for the trial, Nan."

Nancy nodded and Frank tossed the keys to Joe. "You better drive—for your own sake."

Joe looked at his brother in mock surprise. "Was that a threat I just heard, big brother?"

"Take it any way you want, Joe," Frank said, smiling.

Nancy chuckled and shook her head as the boys climbed into the car and took off down the road. She stayed outside until she was unable to see their car anymore and then made her way inside.

Her stomach started to rumble at her so she pointed herself towards the kitchen. She had barely taken five steps when the doorbell rang. Thinking that Frank or Joe forgot something, she smiled as she opened the door. But her smile was quickly replaced with a frown when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

Ned Nickerson bent down and picked up a large bouquet of daisies that had been hidden from Nancy's view. He presented them to her and said, "I was stupid."

Nancy didn't take the flowers from him. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and continued to frown. "I'm listening."

"Can I come in?' Ned asked, hopefully. "I really don't want the entire neighborhood included in this."

Nancy studied him for a while. A part of her wanted him to embarrass himself in front of the neighbors; the reasonable part of her couldn't put him through that. She let out a sigh and stepped back so he could enter the house. She closed the door behind him and led the way to the living room.

Ned sat down on the sofa and placed the flowers in his lap. "So…where are Frank and Joe?" he asked.

"They had to go home," Nancy said. "But I'm sure you didn't come all the way over here to ask about them."

Ned sighed, realizing that this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. "Like I said before—I was stupid."

"Keep going," Nancy said.

"Do I really have to lay out everything?" he asked.

Nancy shrugged. "I have all the time in the world."

"Nancy, I overreacted. I should have trusted your judgment and supported you. Instead, I acted like a complete idiot and I snapped," Ned explained. "I was jealous of Frank," he added softly.

Nancy cupped her ear with her hand. "I'm sorry. I don't think I caught that last part. Can you say it again?"

Ned rolled his eyes. "You heard what I said."

Nancy shook her head slowly. "I just want to make sure I heard you right because I could have _sworn_ you just admitted you were jealous of Frank Hardy."

"I can't help it, Nan," Ned said. "Every time I turn around, he's right beside you. He's always the one you call when you have a problem with a case and he's always there to help you out of a jam. I want to be that guy. I want to be the one you can count on."

Nancy got up from the chair she was sitting in and pulled the ottoman over so she could sit in front of Ned. She took his hands in hers and looked into his deep brown eyes.

"Ned, I never meant to make you feel inadequate," she said. "Yes, I count on Frank a lot but I don't see him that much. The only time we are ever together is on a case, so I have to rely on him especially if the situation is bad."

"But the immature side of me refuses to see it that way," Ned said. "I see Frank and my defensive side perks up. I feel like I have to defend myself whenever he's around you."

"I understand, Ned—I really do," Nancy said. "I'm the same way when I see a girl around you. I immediately think I have to prove myself to you. I hate that feeling, Ned."

Ned brought his hand up and softly caressed her face. "I guess we both have our own issues to work on."

Nancy nodded. "We need to learn to trust each other again. When Dom had us and I chose Frank it wasn't because I wanted him to live and you to die. It was the only way I could think of how to save the man I love and my best friend. That's what I need for you to understand, Ned."

"I am trying to understand that, Nancy; it's just taking some time. It's been the only thing I've been thinking about for the past few days," Ned said. "I hate to admit it, but I let Dom get to me. I allowed myself to believe what he was saying about you and Frank. And I'm stupid for that, Nancy. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose and I should have realized that then."

Nancy touched his hand that was on her cheek and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Nancy—for everything," he said, looking intently into her eyes. "I love you so much."

Nancy smiled her first genuine smile at him. "I love you too, Ned."

Their lips met in a long, tender kiss and to Nancy it felt as if they were kissing for the very first time. She had missed his lips so much and she wasn't sure how she would have felt if she hadn't been able to kiss him again.

They finally broke apart and she smiled at him again. "I think I'm ready for those flowers now."

Ned looked down at the flowers and then back at her. "You can have these flowers on one condition."

"Name it," Nancy said.

"You have to let me buy you dinner and take you to a movie—tonight," he said.

Nancy kissed him again. "You drive a hard bargain, Nickerson."

Ned handed her the flowers and chuckled as she brought them up to her nose and sniffed them. "Actually, I think I'm getting off pretty cheap."

"That you are," Nancy said. "But I can think of ways for you to pay."

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Dean Sayers looked at his watch and saw that it was approaching eleven o'clock. He was beginning to grow frustrated and antsy. He head been hiding in the Drews' garage for a few hours and he was starting to have second thoughts.

Was he really sure that he could do this? And what was he doing agreeing to help a suspected serial killer? He had his own problems to contend with and this stunt could only hurt him more.

He had been trying to talk himself out of it to no avail. He just wouldn't listen to common sense. So that was what had led him to follow Carson Drew as he left his law office. And that was what had led him to hide in a dark garage for the past few hours.

Dean stood up slowly and stretched until he heard several pops from his stiff bones. _This would be over soon enough_, he thought.

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"I'm really happy that we made up, Nancy," Ned said as he pulled up in the Drews' driveway behind Nancy's car.

"I am, too," Nancy said, smiling at him.

"So, do you want to go out again tomorrow night?" he asked, hopefully.

"You're going to get tired of seeing me," Nancy said, laughing.

Ned beamed at her. "Never," he whispered.

Nancy leaned forward and kissed him. "I need to put my car back in the garage. I'll call you in the morning."

"I love you," Ned said between kisses.

"I love you, too," Nancy said and opened the car door. She waved as Ned pulled away and then got into her car. She had moved it earlier so Frank and Joe could pack their car and meant to move it back as soon as they left, but Ned had distracted her from doing it.

_But at least it was a good distraction_, she thought happily as the garage door opened. She pulled her car in and the door closed behind her as she shut it off. She got out of the car and was about to unlock the door to her house when she heard a faint sound. It was almost as if someone was quietly moving around the garage.

Nancy tensed and began to look around the silent garage. Even though it was dark, she could still make out familiar shapes. She remained still and listened for a full two minutes for any other sounds, but silence was the only thing that greeted her.

Clutching her keys and purse tightly, she reached for the knob again. But she was stopped short when someone grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her against her car.

Nancy grunted in pain, and then pushed back as hard as she could, forcing her mystery assailant into a wall with the full force of her weight. He muttered a curse, but Nancy didn't give him time to recuperate. She stomped down on his foot as hard as she could and forced him to let go of her. But before she could make it to the door again, he grabbed her ankle and yanked as hard as he could causing her to fall painfully to the ground.

Nancy turned on her back so she wouldn't be completely defenseless as he got on top of her. She started hitting him anywhere she could until her grabbed her arms and pinned above her head.

"What do you want?" Nancy demanded, struggling underneath him. She tried to see if she could recognize her attacker, but the darkness that surrounded them and the fact that he was wearing a ski mask, hindered that.

"Just shut up!" he whispered fiercely.

Nancy wasn't sure if he had a weapon or not so she went for the most obvious motive. "If you want money, just take it. It's in my purse," she said, frantically. "Just leave me alone!"

"I don't want your damn money," he snarled.

"Then what do you want?" she asked again. Her eyes widened as other possible scenarios flashed through her mind. _No!_ a voice screamed in her head. _You have a voice—scream already!_

That finally snapped Nancy back to reality. She let out a deafening scream, startling her attacker. She used that distraction to push him off of her forcing his to fall against a shelving unit that held household chemicals. The items fell off and pelted him as Nancy ran for the door again.

She managed to unlock the door and dash inside as her attacker started to move around again. She didn't allow herself to catch her breath. Instead, she reached for the phone and dialed 911. "I need someone here _now_!" she barked into the phone. "1013 River Road!" She hung up before the operator could say anything.

She turned around as she heard a rush of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Nancy, what's going on?" Carson Drew asked, Hannah at his heels.

"In the garage. Someone just attacked me," Nancy said quickly.

"Goodness!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Are you all right? Did you call the police?" her father demanded.

"Yes on both counts," Nancy said.

Carson reached over and grabbed a fireplace poker. He then started to make his way towards the garage.

"What are you doing?" Nancy asked.

"I'm going to see if he's still in there," Carson said.

"Dad, no!" Nancy said, grabbing his arm. "I'm not sure if her had a weapon or not and he may go after you."

"Nancy, I'm not going to let him get away if I can help it," Carson said. "Now, stay here with Hannah and I'll be right back."

"No," Nancy said firmly. "If you're going out there then I'm coming with you."

"Nancy, now isn't the time to argue," Carson said.

"I agree," Nancy said. "So either I go with you, or I'll go check myself."

Carson was about to protest when the saw the defiant look in Nancy's eyes. "Fine. But stay behind me."

"Be careful!" Hannah said.

Carson and Nancy cautiously made their way to the door that led out to the garage. Carson put his hand on the doorknob and looked back at Nancy. She nodded her head and he slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open, bracing himself for a surprise attack.

After a minute with no one jumping out at them, Carson entered the garage. He stood there, a look of frustration evident on his face. Nancy stepped into the garage and saw what had frustrated him.

The garage door stood wide open and there was no one in sight.

As she heard the sound of approaching sirens, she knew her mysterious attacker had vanished and would probably never be found.

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**Author's Note: Some of you guessed that the case number in the previous chapter and you were right. So what date was it, you ask? It was the debut date of Nancy Drew! (And Katie...that was swell of you not to ruin it for everyone!)**

**Well, I know I told you there would be a lull in the update for this chapter, but surprise, surprise...I got it out for you. Not sure when the next update will be, but as always, let me know what you think!**


	10. The First Step is Admitting

Landmine

Chapter 10

"Nancy!"

Nancy looked up at the sound of Ned's voice. He pushed his way through the small crowd of officers that were standing in front of the door and made his way over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing her into a fierce hug.

Nancy nodded against him. "I'm fine," she muttered. "How did you know something happened?"

"Hannah just called me and told me, so I hurried over," Ned explained. "Why didn't _you _call me?"

"I haven't been able to do anything for the past couple of hours," Nancy said. "The police have been questioning me nonstop and, besides, I didn't want to worry you. It was nothing."

Ned finally released her and examined her up and down, noticing the scrapes on her knees. "Those cuts would say otherwise."

Nancy shook her head, not really wanting to get into an argument. "They're minor. They'll heal in no time."

Before Ned could say anything else, B.D. Hawkins pushed through the officers and came over to them.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here, Nancy. I was working a robbery across town," he said as way of apology.

"You didn't have to come, B.D. It was just an attack—a minor attack, at that," Nancy said.

"I don't care what kind of attack it was, " B.D. said firmly, taking a seat on the ottoman. "I'm here now so let me do my job."

"Fine," Nancy said, sighing. "Go ahead and ask the same questions that I've answered at least ten times already."

B.D. ignored her comment. "What happened?"

"I got home around eleven-thirty—" she began.

B.D. interrupted her. "Where were you?"

Nancy shot him a look. "Does that really matter?"

"Just answer the question," he said.

"I was on a date with Ned," she said, annoyed. "Would you like to know what seat I sat in at the movie theater?"

B.D. bit back a response. "Just continue," he said, tightly.

"Anyway, Ned dropped me off around eleven-thirty. My car was sitting out on the street so I decided to put it back in the garage. After I pulled it in, I was about to go inside when someone came up behind me and attacked me," Nancy explained quickly.

"Did you see who it was?" B.D. asked.

"It was dark and the guy was wearing a ski mask," Nancy answered.

"You didn't think to turn on a light?" B.D. asked.

Nancy didn't miss the condescending tone in his voice. "I've lived here all my life. I think I know the way around my own garage without having to turn on a light. And besides, it wasn't like I was anticipating on being attacked."

"You can stop being short with me at any time, Nancy. I'm only trying to help you," B.D. said, becoming frustrated with her attitude.

Nancy let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, B.D. I'm just tired of everything. I'm tired of all these constant questions. I'm tired of being a constant target. I'm tired of being terrorized by a crazed lunatic. I just want it all to stop."

B.D. got up from the ottoman and sat down beside her on the sofa. "I'm sorry that these things keep happening to you, Nancy," he said, rubbing her back. "I know you're under a tremendous amount of stress and we haven't exactly been helping to alleviate that lately. But I promise one of your problems will go away soon."

B.D. looked at Carson. "We're going to make sure that Shepard never sees the outside of a jail cell for the rest of his miserable life," he said with conviction.

Nancy gave him a small smile. "That's just an empty promise, B.D. I seem to be getting a lot of those lately."

B.D. shrugged his shoulders. "An empty promise is better than no promise at all."

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_What the hell was I thinking? _Dean Sayers thought to himself as he rushed into his darkened apartment. He leaned against the door and slowly sank to the floor. _Am I seriously that crazy?_

_Obviously so,_ a faint voice said. _You could have killed that woman tonight!_

"But I didn't," he whispered to himself. "I stopped myself before it could get that far."

_No, _she _stopped you before you could do that_, the voice berated him. _If she didn't scream when she did you would have killed her!_

That thought made his breath catch in his throat. He almost became a killer tonight! He had almost become a cold-blooded monster just like Dom!

_Why did I listen to him?_ Dean thought wildly. _Why did I agree to do this and throw away my future?_

_Because he made you feel powerful, _the voice said. _He made you think you were capable of doing anything. He wanted to make you feel like a god. He didn't care what the end result was. He just wanted to bring you down to his level._

Dean shook his head and stood up. "No!" he said firmly. "I won't let him do that to me! I will not become him!"

A faint siren in the distance caused him to freeze momentarily. But he quickly shrugged it off. He didn't care about that anymore. He had something else he needed to do.

He wouldn't let Dom take control of him anymore. And he knew just how to stop that from going any further.

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"Lieutenant, there's someone here to see you," Officer Jon Brooks said, poking his head in the door.

B.D. looked up from the mounds of paperwork that he had been working on, slightly frustrated. While he was glad for the promotion months back, no one had warned him about the amount of paperwork he would be required to do. It had been piling up for days, and this was his first opportunity to begin to tackle it. "Can't you handle it?"

The young officer shook his head. "You'll want to handle this one yourself."

"This better be good, Brooks," B.D. grumbled. He closed the folder he had been working on and pushed it back. "Send them in."

Officer Brooks dashed out of the office and returned thirty seconds later with a young man that looked vaguely familiar to him. The young man sat down in the chair in front of B.D.'s desk as Brooks ducked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

"Can I help you, Mr.…?"

"Dean Sayers, sir," he said.

"Sayers," B.D. said thoughtfully. "Didn't we just release you?"

Dean nodded. "Yes sir."

B.D. chuckled. "Don't tell me you've gotten into trouble already."

Dean looked down at his lap and didn't say anything.

B.D.'s smile quickly evaporated. "What have you done, Mr. Sayers?"

"Before I tell you that, I want to make a deal," he said, looking up at B.D.

"I don't typically make deals with criminals," B.D. said, leaning back in his seat.

"You'll want to make one with me," Dean said.

B.D. studied him for a moment. "What would make you any different from any other common criminal that comes in here wanting to make a deal. Tell you what, how about you tell me what you did, and we'll see if I want to make a deal or not."

Dean hesitated. He didn't want to incriminate himself if there wasn't something for him at the other end. But he also didn't want Dom to win anymore. He started to wring his hands together and looked down at his lap. "I know who was behind the attack of Nancy Drew."

B.D. sat up instantly, his curiosity certainly piqued. "Who?"

Dean looked up at B.D. again. "It was Dominic Shepard."

B.D. scoffed. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Dean vehemently shook his head. "No, sir. I'm telling you the truth.

"Mr. Sayers, I'm not sure if you realize this or not, but Dominic Shepard is securely locked in a jail cell. Now unless he is the reincarnation of Houdini, it would be impossible for him to have attacked Miss Drew."

"I know that he's in jail," Dean said, quickly. "He didn't attack her directly. But he orchestrated it."

"And how do you know this? Do you have proof?" B.D. asked.

Dean shook his head. "Not exactly."

B.D. got up from his desk and walked over to the door. "I think you've wasted enough of my time, Mr. Sayers."

"I did it!" Dean blurted out.

B.D. took his hand off the door and turned around to look at Dean. "Say that again."

"I attacked her, but Shepard orchestrated it," Dean explained quickly.

"And how did you speak to him?" B.D. asked, eyes narrowed.

"I was in the jail cell beside him. It was as if he knew my weakness. He kept saying I could prove myself; I could prove to _everyone _that I wasn't weak," Dean said.

"By attacking a woman that you didn't even know?" B.D. asked.

"I didn't think about it. I actually believed everything that he was telling me. He was the one saying the things that I've wanted to hear for so long," Dean said. "He was allowing me to believe in myself."

"Did he offer you any money?" B.D. asked.

Dean shook his head.

"So you volunteered to attack a woman for a man who is an accused murderer just because he said the right words to you?" B.D. asked incredulously.

Dean held up a hand. "Look, I know what I did was wrong—"

B.D. cut in. "You're damn right it is!"

"And I'm sorry that I did it," Dean said sincerely. "I never wanted to hurt her. It was a mistake and I realize that now."

"It's a little too late for that now," B.D. said, crossing his beefy arms across his chest. "You're looking at an assault charge, if not attempted murder."

"That's why I want to work out a deal," Dean said, frantically. "I'll do anything that I need to do. I'm willing to testify against him, if that's what it takes. He told me he's wanting to work an insanity plea, but I have to tell you, the things he told me, he's never going get it."

B.D. considered Dean for a moment. He then walked over and took a seat behind his desk. He pulled out a tape recorder and smiled at Dean. "Tell me everything you know so I can nail that bastard to a wall, once and for all."

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**Author's Note: Okay, a lot of you were upset that I have Nancy and Ned back together, but I have to assure you that there is a reson for it. It was something that needed to happen! That being said, thank you for all of your reviews and I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. I hope to have more of Dom in the next chapter because I know how much you love him! **

**As always, let me know what you think!**


	11. What A Wonderful World

Landmine

Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Another update, yay! My updates should be a little more frequent since I am out of school right now, but you know that I don't make guarantees. I do have to take a Spanish course this summer, so that will be the only thing that will take my time besides ordinary life problems. **

**A lot of you have wanted Frank and Joe back in the story and that will happen eventually. Just remember that this isn't a mystery. The mystery has already been solved in _Never Again_. In the upcoming chapters, I will be focusing on the trial of Dominic Shepard.**

**As always, let me know what you think…good or bad!**

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"Nancy, we've got a break," B.D. said.

Nancy clutched the phone tightly, making her knuckles turn white. "What?" she asked shocked.

"We have someone who may be able to send Shepard away…for good," B.D. said.

Nancy dropped down onto the sofa in the den, her excitement growing. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Dean Sayers. He happened to be in a cell next to Shepard and let's just say that Shepard couldn't help bragging to his new friend," B.D. explained.

"And this guy just happened to have a conscience and decided to tell you all of this?" Nancy asked.

She could hear the slight hesitation in B.D.'s voice. "Not exactly," he said.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

B.D. sighed. "He was the one who attacked you last night," he said.

"What? Did he tell you why?" Nancy asked.

"He said Shepard told him to do it. Made Sayers believe he would be hailed as a hero if he did it," B.D. said.

"And you believed him?" Nancy asked, skeptically.

B.D. let out another sigh. "This guy will never make it as a career criminal. He feels guilty as hell for what he did to you. Shepard was able to sense his weakness and he acted upon it. He told this kid everything he's been waiting to hear for a long time."  
"Dom seems to be very good at that," Nancy said, disgusted.

"Yes, he does," B.D. said in agreement. "He wants to testify against Dom at the trial. I'm going to work out a deal for him for attacking you."

"Don't," Nancy said, surprising him.

"It's the only way to get his testimony, Nancy," B.D. argued.

"I know," she said. "But I don't want to press charges against him."

"Nancy, he could have killed you last night. He deserves to be punished for that," B.D. protested.

"It wasn't that bad, B.D. Besides, it seems to me as if he's punishing himself enough already," Nancy said. "And it's inevitably my decision to make, isn't it?"

"Are you sure?" B.D. asked, not liking her decision.

Nancy smiled into the phone. "B.D., if I could throw him a parade right now, I would do it."

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Carson Drew looked up at the sound of a soft knock on his office door. The door opened and he was greeted by the sight of Doctor Madison Sullivan.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Carson shut the folder he had been reading and nodded his head. "Sure," he said, waving her in.

"I thought you would like to know how my sessions with Dominic Shepard are going," she said, taking the seat across from his desk.

"Yes," Carson said. "How has it been going?"

Madison pulled off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. I have to admit, it's been a little tough with him."

"Is he not cooperating with you?" Carson asked, concerned for the doctor.

"No, he's cooperating," Madison said. "I just can't get much of a read on him."

"He seems to have that effect on everyone," Carson conceded.

"He's been very open with me about his past," Madison said. "It's just when I ask him about the murders, he sends me some mixed signals."

Carson furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"He accepts no responsibility for what he has done. He blames the murders on several things—his childhood, the book, women who have scorned him the past. He's not afraid to admit that he committed the murders; he just wants it come off as something he had to do," Madison explained.

"So, can you clinically classify him as insane?" Carson asked.

Madison shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Carson. I will admit that he is a very troubled man. But Dominic Shepard knew exactly what he was doing when he committed those murders. He can blame them on anything that he wants, but no jury would ever grant him an insanity plea."  
Carson nodded his head and sighed. "Thank you, Madison," he said, extending his hand.

Madison stood up and shook his outstretched hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of further help to you."

"You've been wonderful," Carson said. He walked her to the door and closed it softly behind her. He then leaned against it, taking in everything that she said.

_"Dominic Shepard knew exactly what he was doing when he committed those murders."_

He couldn't show it to Madison, but those words filled him with joy. It only confirmed the fact that Shepard would be going to prison no matter how well he tried the case. That insanity plea was Shepard's one shot at freedom, but now that had been taken away from him. That thought alone brought a smile to his face.

Another knock at the door startled him out of his reverie. He opened it up to see Assistant District Attorney Gwen Lawson standing in front of him.

Gwen smiled at him. "May I come in?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," Carson said, stepping back to let her in. he waited until she was seated before he went around his desk and did the same.

"I take it this isn't a social call," Carson said, grinning.

Gwen flashed him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, this is strictly business."  
"Well, maybe next time," he said.

She tried unsuccessfully to hide the blush that crept in her cheeks. "I'm here to discuss a possible plea bargain."

"What will you offer?" Carson asked.

"He pleads guilty to all charges, he serves forty years in prison with the chance of parole in twenty," she said.

"I just spoke with Doctor Sullivan and the insanity won't work for him," Carson said, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "I'll talk to him about your offer, but I'm pretty sure he won't take it."

Gwen leaned forward in her seat. "Carson, I just got off the phone with Lieutenant Hawkins. He's found a guy who's willing to testify against Shepard at the trial."

"Who is this guy?" Carson asked.

She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small notebook. She flipped through a few pages until she came to the one she wanted. "Dean Sayers. He was in the holding cell next to Shepard and apparently Shepard was feeling a little chatty."

Carson let out a tired sigh. "I'll talk to him."

Gwen gave him a small smile. "It really would be best for him to take the plea bargain. It would save everyone a lot of unnecessary heartache."

Carson nodded. "I'll let you know what he decides."  
"Please do," she said, standing up. She walked to the door but turned around to look at

him before she could open the door. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Carson said.

"Why are you doing this, Carson? You have an unblemished defense record, so why throw that away on a man like Dominic Shepard?" she asked.

Carson seemed to think about that for a moment and then he shrugged. "Because I have to make sure he doesn't hurt my daughter or anyone else anymore."

Gwen smiled weakly. "Just be careful, Carson."

He watched her leave the office and then leaned back in his chair.

_This day just keeps getting better and better_, he thought with satisfaction.

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"Well, if it isn't my savior coming to check up on me and see how I'm doing," Dom said as he was escorted into the conference room. Carson was sitting at the table, his hands interlocked in front of him.

Carson waited until the officer left them alone before he spoke. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Mr. Shepard," he said, trying to keep the joy out of his voice.

Dom smiled. "You seem to be in high spirits," he said.

"I guess you could say that," Carson said, nodding.

"Don't keep me in suspense, Carson," Dom said, smiling. "I can see that you are bursting with anticipation to tell me what this bit of bad news is."  
Carson didn't waste any time. "I just spoke with Doctor Sullivan and it's her opinion that you are not clinically insane."

Dom pouted. "And after I tried so hard to make her think that I was."

Carson looked at Dom, his face expressionless.

"I knew I wasn't ever going to get that defense," Dom said, chuckling. "Come on, Carson. You and that daughter of yours need to lighten up a little."

Carson ignored him. "If you care to listen, the ADA has offered you a plea bargain."

"I'm listening," Dom said.

"They are willing to give you forty years in prison with the possibility of parole in twenty if you agree to plea guilty to all charges," Carson said.

Dom seemed to think about that.  
"It's the best thing for you, Mr. Shepard," Carson said. "And you would save people a lot of grief if you agreed to this."

Dom chuckled again. "Maybe you haven't noticed this, but I don't care about protecting anyone's feelings. If so, I never would have done any of this. Besides, how else would I get to see Nancy? It's not like she's going to come and visit me again."

Carson flew up from his seat and punched Dom in the face. Dom fell from his chair and brought his hands up to his nose. He looked down and saw blood on his hands.

"Very good, Carson. I knew I could get you to do that soon enough," Dom said, laughing.

Carson looked down at Dom, breathing hard when the officer opened the door.

"Is everything okay in here?" he asked.

Carson looked at the officer and shrugged. "Mr. Shepard fell out of his chair."

"Is that true, Shepard?' the officer asked.

Dom looked at Carson with somewhat pride. "That's exactly what happened, Officer. Guess I was just a little clumsy."

The officer grabbed Dom and helped him up off the floor. Carson packed up his belongings as the officer and Shepard left the room. He knew he had overreacted when he punched Dom, but the guy was finally getting to him. He was tired of the constant threats and he was tired of him trying to intimidate him through Nancy.

If the choice had been up to Carson, he would have made sure that Dominic Shepard never lived to see his trial. And he was pretty sure he would have had the town's support on that.

_It really is too bad that wishes can't come true…_

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	12. It's a Mad Mad World

Landmine

Chapter 12

_Two Months Later…_

Nancy had thought she had seen a circus before, but the activity surrounding the River Heights Municipal Courthouse was making her reconsider that. On either side of the century-old stone building were protesters and supporters of Dom, each wielding numerous handcrafted signs. Reporters from River Heights and the surrounding areas were milled around the front steps, shoving microphones, cameras, and tape recorders into anyone's face who ventured towards the front doors.

And this was what she was seeing from the safety of Ned's car; she hadn't even thrown herself into the chaos yet.

She felt a small boost of confidence as Ned reached over and gently squeezed her hand. "You okay?" he asked.

Nancy took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile. "Yeah."

"Everything's going to be okay, Nan," Ned said reassuringly.

Nancy nodded. "I know."

Ned got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side to help Nancy out. They had barely taken three steps before the reporters descended on them like a pack of hungry wolves.

_"Nancy, how was it facing a cold-blooded killer?"_

_"Do you think Dominic Shepard will be found guilty?"_

_"Do you feel some sense of responsibility for the murders?"_

_"How does it make you feel knowing, that your father is defending the very man that tried to kill you?"_

Ned enveloped Nancy in his arms and fought his way through the reporters. A police officer opened the door for them and they left the reporters with their questions unanswered.

"Brutal, aren't they?" Nancy asked.

"Don't worry about them, Nancy. The only thing they're looking for is a front page story," Ned said.

"Nancy!"

She looked over Ned's shoulder to see Frank and Joe Hardy approaching them. She immediately felt Ned tense beside her.

"Down, tiger," she muttered. Then she smiled at the Hardys as they each gave her a hug. "How long have you two been here?"

"Only about ten minutes," Joe answered.

"Ned," Frank said, cordially.

"Frank," Ned said in the same tone.

"Looks like this is turning into a big fiasco," Frank said, turning his attention to the doors as another person entered the courthouse.

"You would think the president was coming here with all the chaos going on out there," Joe said in agreement.

"Just tell me it's not that crazy in the courtroom," Nancy said.

"It's starting to fill up but it's nowhere near as crazy as it is out there," Frank assured her.

Ned looked down at his watch. "Maybe we should head in there ourselves."

Frank and Joe led the way and as they entered, Nancy was grateful for the quiet chatter in the courtroom. As she took a seat on the front row behind the prosecution's table, she took a chance and glanced around the room, spotting a few familiar faces—Frazier Carlton, Thomas, B.D. Hawkins, and Nikki Masters, among others. They each looked at her and she tried to give them an encouraging smile, knowing it would never be enough to take away the pain they were all feeling.

"Who's up first for the prosecution?" Ned asked softly, pulling her attention back.

"The medical examiner, I think," she answered.

Just then, Gwen Lawson came into the courtroom and took a seat at the table in front of them. She turned around in her chair to smile at Nancy.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Nancy answered with a smile of her own. "I just want to get this over with."

"I know you do," Gwen said understandingly. "I think everyone will rest easier when this is all over."

"I guess I'm just a little nervous about everything," Nancy admitted.

"That's perfectly understandable," Gwen said. "Like I said when we met, I'm going to try to make this as painless for you as I possibly can. And I'm sure your father will do the same."

Nancy nodded and looked over at the defendant's table where Carson Drew was pulling out papers from his briefcase. He must have sensed her eyes on his because he turned in his seat to give her an encouraging smile. She smiled in return and then focused her attention to the front of the room where the bailiff was calling the court to order.

"All rise! The Honorable Judge Peter Kent is now presiding."

The room rose as one as a short, middle-aged man with thinning brown hair came into the room. He took his seat and addressed the room.

"You may be seated," he said in a booming voice. He then nodded at the bailiff. "Bailiff, please escort the defendant in."

A deafening hush fell over the room as the bailiff walked over to a door on the left side of the room. Then the crowd burst into outrage as Dominic Shepard was led into the room.

"Order! There will be order in this courtroom!" Judge Kent said, banging his gavel lately.

The room once again got quiet. Nancy felt her insides literally freeze as she watched the man who had terrorized her, dressed impeccably in a business suit take his seat. If she hadn't known who he was or what he was capable of, he would have been someone she could have easily approached on the street.  
He turned around in his seat, his interest focused on only one thing: _her_. He gave her a chilling smile and blew her a kiss, before turning back around and facing the front. She tried her best not to show any emotion but she couldn't stop the chill that went coursing through her body.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy," Frank muttered, disgustedly.

"I would give anything in the world to wipe off that smug look on his face," Ned said.

Judge Kent cleared his throat. "I will start off by saying, if you cannot control your outbursts, I will hold you in contempt. My courtroom will not be turned into a circus! Now, we will begin with opening statements. Ms. Lawson, you may begin."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Gwen stood up from her seat and approached the jury. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we are here today to make sure justice is served to the defendant, Dominic Shepard. Over the next few days, you will see evidence and hear testimony that will be more than enough to convict him on the numerous charges that are against him.

"I will warn you that this will be an emotional and trying case. Many families have been ruined by the defendant's actions." Her voice turned cold and convicting. "The evidence and the testimony against Dominic Shepard _will _speak for itself; it _will _prove that Dominic Shepard willingly committed these murders without a second's thought. Thank you."

Gwen walked back to her seat and sat down just as Carson stood up from his. He buttoned up his blazer and calmly walked to the jury box. He looked at each of them in the eye and took a deep breath.

"Assistant District Attorney Lawson is right when she says that this will be an emotional and trying case. The trial will no doubt bring out emotional outbursts, but I'm going to have to ask you to try to ignore that. You must listen to the evidence and not let your emotions interfere with this trial.

"Dominic Shepard is entitled to a fair trial just like any other person. He deserves your full and undivided attention as well as your unbiased opinion. As the saying goes: 'Every man is innocent until proven guilty'."

Carson looked at each juror again before making his way back to his seat. He unbuttoned his blazer and sat down as Judge Kent cleared his throat again. "Prosecution, you may call your first witness."

Nancy braced herself in her chair as Gwen stood up. "Prosecution calls Chief Medical Examiner Carl Reynolds to the stand."

As the doors to the courtroom opened and a tall man who appeared to be in his fifties with thick sandy-blonde hair entered, Nancy couldn't stop the apprehension that overtook her.

_Well…I guess this is it…_

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**Author's Note: As you can see I have now started the trial. I could have dragged it on for the two months leading up to the trial, but I would have gotten bored with it and I figured that you would too. I would have had this posted about three days ago, but the website would not let me in for the life of me. So if you want anyone to blame for the update, blame the site.**

**Again, I thank my betas because they are the ones that keep me straight and sane. If they weren't there to catch my mistakes, there would be no story! You guys rock!**

**Tell me what you think...**


	13. Coming Out Swinging

**Author's Note: Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

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Landmine

Chapter 13

"Doctor, will you please state your name and your profession for the record," Gwen said, her voice loud and powerful in the immense room.

He leaned in towards the small microphone that was in front of him. "My name is Doctor Carl Reynolds and I am a forensic pathologist. I also serve as the coroner for River Heights."

Gwen nodded. "And were you the one to perform the autopsies on Ann Granger and Brenda Carlton?"

"Yes, I did."

Gwen walked back to her table and grabbed two file folders. "Your Honor, I would like to enter Exhibit A—the autopsy findings for Ann Granger and Brenda Carlton."

Judge Kent nodded and put on his reading glasses as Gwen handed the bailiff the folders. He read over them as she continued to question the doctor.

"Doctor Reynolds, please tell the court your findings," she said.

"The first victim—Ann Granger—died as the result of a single stab wound to her abdomen," he said.

"Is that what killed her?" Gwen asked.

"That and the fact that she bled to death," Doctor Reynolds stated.

"And based on the wounds, could you tell what kind of weapon was used?" she asked.

Doctor Reynolds shook his head. "I couldn't give you a precise weapon, but I would say she was killed by some kind of hunting knife," he explained.

"And what about the second victim—Brenda Carlton?"

"She was killed as the result of strangulation," he said.

"And do you happen to know what she was strangled with?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, it was a nylon rope that is generally used for boating, camping, and other everyday uses. The crime scene techs found the rope at the murder scene and the threads from that rope matched the threads that were embedded in her neck," Doctor Reynolds said, looking at the jury.

Gwen walked to the table again and produced a plastic evidence bag that contained a blue and white rope.

"Your Honor, I would like to now enter Exhibit B—the rope that was used to murder Ms. Carlton."

The bailiff took the bag from Gwen and handed it to Judge Kent.

"Thank you, Doctor Reynolds," she said, smiling at the doctor. She then looked at Judge Kent. "No further questions, Your Honor."

Judge Kent nodded and looked at Carson. "Mr. Drew, your witness."  
Carson stood up from his chair and buttoned his blazer. He then cleared his throat and approached Doctor Reynolds.

"Doctor Reynolds, how long have you been a forensic pathologist?"

"Going on fifteen years," he answered.

"So, you feel you're good at your job?" Carson asked.

"I would say that, yes. I'm one of the most highly respected forensic pathologists in Illinois," Doctor Reynolds said.

"Have you ever made any mistakes?" Carson asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Doctor Reynolds said.

"I'll clarify—in any of your years of being a forensic pathologist have you ever made any mistakes?"

Doctor Reynolds seemed to blanch at the question.

Gwen jumped up from her seat. "Objection, Your Honor. Where is Mr. Drew going with this line of questioning?"

"Mr. Drew, that's a good question," Judge Kent said, looking at him intently.

Carson held up a hand. "Your Honor, this goes to character."

Judge Kent studied Carson a bit longer and then nodded. "I'll allow it. Please continue, Mr. Drew."

Gwen silently scoffed and then sat back down in her chair.

"I'll ask again, Doctor Reynolds. Have you ever made any mistakes?" Carson asked, again focusing his attention on the doctor.

"Not that I can recall," Doctor Reynolds said.

"Allow me to refresh your memory," Carson said, walking back to his table. He picked up a legal pad from his desk and read over some notations he had made. "Five years ago, you were called to testify on another murder case. The Hollinger case—does that ring any bells?""Slightly," Doctor Reynolds said.

"You performed the autopsy on Jimmy Gallagher and later testified against the accused, Sophie Davies. You testified that Mr. Gallagher died as the result of blunt force trauma to the head and that the evidence pointed to Sophie as being his killer," Carson said.

Doctor Reynolds fidgeted in his chair. "That's correct," he said trying to keep his voice strong.

"Sophie Davies was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to twenty years in prison. But the Gallagher family requested that a second autopsy be performed on their son by a different pathologist. Do you know what they found, Doctor?"

Doctor Reynolds slightly nodded his head. "Yes—the second autopsy found that he had suffered a seizure and that he had hit his head on the corner of the table, thus resulting in his death."

"Meaning that your testimony sent an innocent woman to prison," Carson said, putting down his pad.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

"So, let me ask you, Doctor Reynolds. Could you have messed up on these autopsies?" Carson asked.

Doctor Reynolds vehemently shook his head. "That's not possible. Since that terrible tragedy with the Hollinger case, I always double-check my findings."  
"Did you find any forensic evidence linking my client to these murders?" Carson asked.

"Not directly, no," Doctor Reynolds.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Carson asked.

"Meaning that we found no direct forensic evidence to link Dominic Shepard to the murders," Doctor Reynolds said, slightly agitated.

"No further questions," Carson said and returned to his seat.

Judge Kent looked at the doctor and nodded. "Doctor Reynolds, you may step down." He then focused his attention on the room. "We will adjourn for lunch. Court will resume at one o'clock with the prosecution's next witness." He banged his gavel and the room rose as one as he retired to his chambers. The bailiff then escorted Dom through the door he had entered from.

"Your dad really tore into him," Frank commented to Nancy.

"Yeah," Nancy said. "I told you that he was tough."

"I guess I just had no idea," Frank said.

"We have an hour. Did you want to grab some lunch?" Ned asked Nancy and the brothers.

Nancy shrugged. "I probably won't eat much, but we may as well."

She bent down to grab her purse as Doctor Reynolds came up to Gwen. "Gwen, I am so sorry about that happened up there."  
Gwen shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Carl. I had no idea that Carson was going to do that to you. You did fine."

"Did he have any right to bring up my past like that?" Carl asked.

Gwen nodded. "Unfortunately, he did. He wants to show the jury that you may not be a credible witness. But those women were murdered and the jury isn't going to forget that, no matter what tricks Carson manages to pull."

"He just caught me off-guard," Doctor Reynolds said.

"He caught us all off-guard," Gwen said, ruefully. "Don't worry about it though. I have plenty of other witnesses so the jury may not even remember what happened up there."

"Did you want to grab some lunch? I was going to go over to the deli across the street," Doctor Reynolds said.

Gwen shook her head. "I brought something with me. Thank you, anyway."

Doctor Reynolds smiled and walked out of the courtroom.

"Is it really going to be okay?" Nancy asked.

Gwen seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "I really think it will," she said, finally.

"I forgot how ruthless my dad could be in the courtroom," Nancy said.

"He definitely is at the top of his game," Gwen agreed. She then looked at Nancy apologetically. "I really should get going. I need to talk to Lieutenant Hawkins before he takes the stand."

"We were just going to grab something to eat," Nancy said.

Gwen smiled. "Don't worry, Nancy. We have only just begun."

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	14. An Officer Never Lies

**Author's Note: Wow...I need to recover from those reviews! Thank you so much for the wonderful praise from the last chapter. It really meant a lot to me! Some of you have suggested that I may know a thing or two about the court system and that is extremely flattering. But believe me when I say, I just watch a lot of TV! I am trying to make this as believable for you as I can!**

**And quite a few of you have said that I am breaking the mold by actually having a trial in my story. I'm just surprised that no one has done it before and I am glad that I can do it in a way that you appreciate.**

**Well, let me know what you think!**

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Ten minutes after one o'clock, the courtroom was once again packed to capacity and B.D. Hawkins had been sworn in as the next witness for the prosecution.

"Lieutenant Hawkins, you were the lead investigator during the Dominic Shepard case, is that correct?" Gwen asked, standing in front of the witness stand.

B.D. nodded his head. "Yes, that is correct."

"Could you please explain what happened on the night of October thirteenth?"

"We received a call around eight p.m. that said there had been a murder," B.D. answered.

"Who placed the call?' Gwen asked.

"Ned Nickerson."

"And what did you and your officers find when you responded to the call?" she asked.

"We discovered the body of Ann Granger," B.D. said, somberly.

"And was there anyone else in the house at the time?" she asked.

B.D. nodded again. "Yes—Nancy Drew, Ned Nickerson, and the victim's husband, Thomas."

"Nancy Drew happens to be a private detective. Was she there investigating the murder?" Gwen asked.

"No, she was a friend of the victim. They were supposed to meet for dinner and when Ann didn't show up, Miss Drew and her companions became worried so they went to her house to check it out," B.D. explained.

"Can you describe the scene when you arrived at Ms. Granger's house?" Gwen asked.

"We found the victim sitting at the dining room table," he said.

"What do you mean by she was sitting at the table?"

B.D. coughed. "The killer had propped her up in a chair at the table in order for it to look like she was just sitting there, as if she were eating or something. There was also a vase of pink roses beside her on a small table. The victim's husband said they weren't there before he left for the restaurant."

"Was there anything else?" Gwen asked.

B.D. nodded. "Yes. The killer had also left a note with the flowers."  
"And do you happen to recall what the note said?" Gwen asked.

B.D. didn't hesitate one second. "'Catch me if you can; catch me if you will; you'd better do it fast; for I've got more to kill'."

"Was the note addressed to anyone in particular?" Gwen asked.

"No. We had to assume it was a message left for the police. He was daring us to stop him," B.D. said.

Carson rose from his chair. "Objection! Lieutenant Hawkins cannot presume what my client was thinking when he wrote the note."

"Sustained," Judge Kent said. He turned to look at the jury. "The jury will disregard that last statement."

Gwen held her annoyance in as she continued to question B.D. "Lieutenant, was there any evidence pointing to Dominic Shepard as the culprit behind the murders?"

"None that was linking him directly, no," B.D. said.

"So you had no suspects at the time?" she asked.

"No."

"So this bring us to a couple of days later—October fifteenth," Gwen said. "What happened then?"

"Around eleven that night we received a call from the security guard at _Today's Times_, the local newspaper here in River Heights. It was in the parking lot that we found the second victim, Brenda Carlton. She had been strangled," B.D. explained.

"Was there anything left with her as well?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, we found a single pink rose and another note," B.D. said.

"And what did that note say?"

"'Two are gone, but I'm not through; who's next, you ask? It could be you'," B.D. said, again without hesitation.

"Your Honor, I would like to submit the crime scene photos as Exhibit C, and the notes that were left with the victims as Exhibits D, E, and F."

The bailiff took the photos and the notes from Gwen and handed them to Judge Kent.

"And you still had no suspects?" Gwen asked, turning back to B.D.

"No, there wasn't any sufficient evidence that pointed to anyone."

"So, you were basically at a dead end?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, until Nancy came into my office with the theory that the killer was copying the murders out of _Never Again_, the book that was written by the first victim, Ann Granger," B.D. said.

"And what did you think of her theory?"

"To tell you the truth, I thought it was completely preposterous," B.D. said, slightly smiling.

"And did something convince you otherwise?" she asked, crossing her arms over her slender frame.

"I trust Nancy's instincts completely and I knew she would never come into my office with some outlandish story if she didn't believe it herself," B.D. said, glancing quickly at Nancy. "I read over some passages that she had highlighted and the murders that were happening matched up to the murders in the book."

"Let's bump things up a bit," Gwen said. "When did you catch your first break in the case?"

"It was a few days later. After the killer attacked Nancy and her neighbor, Nikki Masters, we started to go over the footage from the book signing," B.D. said.

"What good would that do?" Gwen asked. "I thought you said you had no suspects at the time."

"That's right but we were hoping that the killer messed up and Nikki got a look at his face," B.D. said.

"And what did the videotape show you?" Gwen asked.

"It showed a man that was keeping a very watchful eye on Nancy and Ann. We got a copy of the man's face and showed him to Nikki. She confirmed for us that we now had our killer," B.D. explained, sitting back in his chair.

Gwen walked over to the jury box. "Lieutenant, is that man in this courtroom right now?"

B.D. nodded.

"And can you tell us who it was?"

B.D. pointed a finger. "It was the defendant—Dominic Shepard."

"And did you arrest him?' Gwen asked.

"No. we still didn't have a name for him until we ran his picture through the database and came up with a couple of hits for DUI. Besides, Mr. Shepard had kidnapped Ned, Frank, and Nancy and were holding them hostage at the old Roxy Theatre on the outside of town," B.D. explained.

"How did you know they were in the theatre?" Gwen asked.

"Before Mr. Shepard had taken Nancy he had knocked out Frank's younger brother, Joe. But before Joe lost consciousness, he heard Mr. Shepard say it was time for the final act. We figured that was something and then Joe remembered that Frank had a GPS tracking chip in his cell phone. After it was activated, we were able to pinpoint their location to the Roxy Theatre," B.D. said.

Gwen nodded and glanced at the jury and was glad to see she had their full attention. "And what did you find when you arrived at the Roxy Theatre?"

"Dominic Shepard was trying to make a getaway with Nancy," B.D. said. He then glanced at Carson. "If we had gotten there any later, we may have been reading about another murder in the paper."

Gwen nodded her head, gravely. "Thank you, Lieutenant. No further questions." She walked back to her chair as Carson got up.

Carson approached B.D. with no expression on his face. B.D. knew his last statement got to him, but he wasn't about to show that to the jury. B.D. just sat back in his chair, bracing himself for whatever questions Carson may throw at him. After all, he had just torn into the coroner when no one expected him to. And Carson didn't disappoint.

"Lieutenant, you've been in your position for how long now?" Carson asked.

"Nine months," B.D. responded.

"So this was your first major case as Lieutenant, is that correct?"

"Yes," B.D. answered.

"So this arrest had to make you feel pretty good?" Carson asked, arching a brow.

"I took a killer off the streets so, yes, I would have to say I slept very easily at night," B.D. said.

"You say this was your case but you had a lot of outside help, did you not? Namely, Nancy Drew," Carson said.

"Miss Drew played an integral part in this case," B.D. said, nodding in agreement.

"From what I've read in reports and heard from your testimony, she did a lot of your work for you," Carson said. He shrugged a shoulder. "All you had to do was show up with the cuffs."

Gwen flew out of her seat. "Objection!"

"Sustained," Judge Kent said. He looked pointedly at Carson. "Watch yourself, Mr. Drew," he said in a warning tone.

"I apologize, Your Honor," Carson said with an apologetic grin.

B.D. cleared his throat. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Drew, I never wanted Nancy involved with this case. I wanted her as far from it as possible." He looked at Dom and was met by a chilling smile. "You client had other ideas."

"You are an officer of the law," Carson said. "You could have forced her form this case."

"I could have done a lot of things," B.D. said. "Especially if I knew what his plans for her were."

Nancy cringed in her seat, sensing that everyone was glancing at her.

Carson chose a new line of questioning. "Is it true that you had the media fabricate a story during this case?"

"Yes, after the attack on Nikki Masters, we figured it would be best if the public thought that she was dead," B.D. said.

"So this decision was for the public's sake?" Carson asked. "Don't you think they would have rested a little easier knowing that the killer hadn't succeeded in another death?"

"No, I don't," B.D. said. "No matter how you paint it, there was still a killer on the loose. The public wasn't going to rest easy until he was caught. Besides, if he found out that Nikki was still alive, who's to say he wouldn't have come back to finish the job?"

"But it's not for you to say that," Carson said.

"It was a decision that I made and I still stand by it," B.D. said. "I would do it again if I had to."

"But you took away their First Amendment rights," Carson said. "You kept them from doing their job."

"Yes, I did," B.D. said. "And they never had to agree to it."

"I would think that they had to," Carson said. "After all, you're the police. You could arrest them of they refused to help you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Drew," B.D. said. "I had to do my job to protect the citizens of River Heights, by whatever means necessary. I did my job and I caught the killer—I protected my town. I prevented him from taking any more lives—including your daughter's."

Carson slightly paled, his momentum gone. He cleared his throat and nodded at B.D. "No further questions."

Judge Kent nodded at B.D. as Carson took his seat. "You may step down, Lieutenant."

B.D. stepped down from the witness stand and walked towards the back of the courtroom. As he passed Nancy, he flashed her an encouraging smile. A quiet whisper followed him as he left the room.

Judge Kent cleared his throat in order to get everyone's attention. "The court will adjourn for today. We will resume again tomorrow at nine a.m."

The room rose as he retired to his chambers and immediately rose in noise level as soon as his door was closed.

"Nancy, we were going to grab some dinner before we went to our hotel," Frank said. "Do you and Ned want to join us?"

Nancy barely heard him, her attention focused on her dad.

"Nan, did you hear me?" Frank asked.

"What?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Do you and Ned want to grab a bite with us?" he asked again.

Nancy looked at Ned and he reluctantly nodded.

"Sure," Nancy said, distractedly.

She watched as her father grabbed his briefcase and left the courtroom. One thing she was sure about was that there certainly were going to be fireworks at her house for the next few days, especially if her father kept attacking everyone who took the stand.


	15. Seeds of Doubt

**Author's Note: What's this? Another update in the same week? Something must be wrong with me! That or I like to spoil you guys way too much! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews...they are what keep me going with this story! I had one concern about an objection in the last chapter, and I have to defend that. I thank you for speaking up on it but I felt it was a very strong objection and I had to go with it. But I certainly understand where you're coming from when you brought it up!**

**Read and let me know what you think...good or bad!**

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Landmine

Chapter 15

Nancy let out a huge sigh as she closed the door to Ned's car. He was just dropping her off after their dinner with Frank and Joe and things had been strained, at best. She and Joe had tried their best to lighten things up and have fun but there was an undeniable hatred and tension between Frank and Ned that just seemed impenetrable.

She tried to ignore it, but it bugged her that they could not act like to mature adults and work out their petty differences. Instead, everything had to be a pissing contest between the two of them and she was the grand prize at the end.

As she unlocked the door to her house, she noticed the light was on in her father's study. She didn't want anymore drama tonight, but she also didn't want things to get so bad between her and her father that they rarely spoke to each other again.

She put down her purse and keys on the small table by the door and hung up her jacket on the coat rack. She then knocked on the door to her father's study. Carson looked up and gave her a tired smile.

"How was dinner?" he asked, putting down his pen.

"It was okay," Nancy said. "What are you doing?"

Carson shrugged. "Just working on some notes for the trial."

"Oh," Nancy said for the lack of having anything else to say.

An uneasy silence hung between the two of them as they searched for something to say. Finally, Carson broke it.

"Nancy, I don't want our relationship ruined because of this trial," he said.

Nancy looked up at Carson. "Neither do I," she said. "But it's hard."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"You've already attacked two people on the stand," Nancy said.

"I'm just doing my job, Nancy," Carson said. "Besides, I think B.D. pretty much handled himself up there. He knew exactly where to hit me."

"He was just trying to protect himself—you insulted his professional integrity," Nancy argued. "And he's not the one going up to bat for a crazed killer."

Carson sighed. "He has a right to fair trial, Nancy, no matter how vile he may be," Carson said. "I would rather lose a case knowing that I defended someone to the best of my abilities than toss away my career by throwing the case."

"What are you going to do if you win?" Nancy asked. "What are you going to do if he gets off and he walks the streets again?"

"I'm not even thinking about that, Nancy," Carson said, wearily.

"You need to because I am. I know exactly what he'll do if he gets off," Nancy said. "He'll finish exactly where he left off and the next funeral you'll be attending is mine!"

Carson paled slightly. "You don't know that, Nancy," he said rather unconvincingly.

"He's tried to kill me three times already. Nothing will make him stop until he succeeds," Nancy said, frustrated that she couldn't get through to him.

"Nancy…"

"Forget it," she said. "There's no point in arguing about it anymore. I'm going to bed."

She tore up the stairs before Carson could say anything else.

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The next morning the crowd outside the courthouse seemed to have doubled in size. Nancy wasn't surprised considering all of the excitement and publicity surrounding the trial. She also wouldn't be surprised if some sleazy Hollywood producer was here just waiting for the chance to pounce on someone for the rights to make Hollywood's next big blockbuster.

She took her seat along with Frank, Joe, and Ned and waited for the trial to commence. She saw her father sitting at his table, but quickly glanced away. They hadn't talked since last night and she had no desire to bring it back up. Luckily, she didn't have time to worry about it because Gwen was calling her next witness—Nikki Masters.

"Nikki, can you take us back to the night of October seventeenth?" Gwen asked.

Nikki nodded her head and glanced quickly at the jury. They were each watching her intently, waiting for her to speak. Nancy's heart ached for her—she knew how scare Nikki had to feel especially knowing her attacker was fifteen feet away from her.

She started to play with her hands. "I got off my shift at the River Heights Cineplex," she said, nervously.

"About what time was this?' Gwen asked.

"Around one in the morning—I had to work the late shift because someone had called in sick and I could use to money," Nikki said.

"Did you go straight home from the Cineplex?" Gwen asked.

Nikki nodded. "Yes."

"What happened when you got home?" Gwen asked.

"My dad had to work the night shift, so there was no one home," Nikki began. "I unlocked the door and went straight to my room. I had barely turned on the light when someone tackled me from behind. I—"Her voice began to break.

Gwen walked up to her and put a comforting hand on her arm. "Do you want to take a break?

Nikki wiped away a tear and shook her head. "No," she said, softly. She took a deep breath and looked at the jury. "I tried to fight back but he was so strong," she continued, unable to stop the tears that were falling. "I tried to scream, but he banged my head against my bed post. The next thing I felt was this searing pain near my stomach—he had stabbed me and he was smiling the whole time.

"There was just so much pain, but I still tried to fight back. He then put his hands around my throat and just started squeezing. He kept squeezing until I lost consciousness. I thought I was dead."

Gwen handed Nikki a tissue and she gratefully took it.

"Nikki, did he ever say anything to you?"

Nikki nodded as she wiped her eyes. "I tried talking to him. I asked why he was doing this and he said it was for Katie. He said he had to do something to make Katie aware since he had hurt her."

"Was Katie someone who was familiar to you?" Gwen asked.

Nikki shook her head. "I don't know anyone named Katie. I asked him who she was and he just laughed at me as if I should know who she was."  
"Did you get a look at his face?" Gwen asked.

Nikki nodded shakily. "Yes," she said softly.

Gwen took a deep breath. "Nikki, is the man who attacked you in this room?"

Nikki let out a choked sob. "Yes," she said again.

"Can you point him out for the court?"

Nikki closed her eyes to compose herself. When she opened her eyes, she held a steely gaze at Dom. "It was the defendant—Dominic Shepard."

Dom looked at her calmly and let a little smile play on his lips.

Gwen nodded at Nikki. "No further questions."  
"Mr. Drew, your witness," Judge Kent said.

Carson stood up from his seat. "Miss Masters, how well was the lighting in your room?"

"I don't know what you mean," Nikki said, confused.

"Did you turn on an overhead light when you got in or a lamp?" Carson asked.

"A…A lamp," she stammered.

"Was the light bright enough where you could clearly make out surroundings?" Carson asked.

"It wasn't overly bright, but I was able to see," Nikki said.

"So you would say the lighting was dim?" Carson asked.

"I guess so," Nikki said, shrugging a shoulder.

"So you couldn't say you are one-hundred percent sure Dominic Shepard was your attacker," Carson said.

"I know who attacked me," Nikki said firmly.

"You could have made a mistake," Carson said.

"I didn't," Nikki said.

"How sure are you?" Carson asked.

I don't know…ninety-eight percent, I guess," Nikki said.

"So that still leaves a two percent chance that you are wrong," Carson said. "It happens all the time."

"I'm not wrong," Nikki said.

"No further questions," Carson said, sitting back down.

"Miss Masters, you may step down," Judge Kent said. "Miss Lawson, your next witness."


	16. Two More Gone

Landmine

Chapter 16

**Author's Note: So, you really liked the last chapter, huh? I am really glad that I can convey the emotions of everyone that you are able to believe them. It is sometimes hard to write emotional stuff and I want to make it as realistic as I can for you. Because if I don't enjoy it, I know you won't either.**

**Well, let me know what you think!**

_**Disclaimer: I know I haven't put one of these up lately, so I better cover my tail. I don't own anything associated with Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys…just the characters I created. And I am also not responsible for any medical problems that may result from this story…so don't think about sending the bills to me!**_

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"Mr. Nickerson, what is your profession?" Gwen asked after he had taken his place on the witness stand.

"I'm am insurance agent employed at Morton Brothers Insurance in Chicago," he explained.

"That's how you met Dominic Shepard, isn't it?" Gwen asked.

Ned nodded. "Yes—he came to my office asking me to look at some property that he had bought. He said he was interested in getting it insured."

"And what property was that?" she asked.

"The old Roxie Theatre right outside of River Heights," Ned said.

Gwen glanced at the jury and saw some of them wore a surprised expression. Feeling satisfied, she turned to look at Ned again. "What happened on the day of October nineteenth, Ned?"

Ned leaned forward in his chair. "As I said, Mr. Shepard came to my office and wanted me to take a look at some property that he had bought. I didn't have any other clients at the time and he seemed like he was in a rush."

"Is that odd for a client to do that?"

Ned shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, most of our clients are like that."

"So what happened after that?" Gwen asked.

"Mr. Shepard drove us to the Roxie Theatre," Ned said.

"Why did he drive?" Gwen asked.

"He knew where the property was and it was just as easy for him to drive as it would have been for me. He assured me that it wouldn't take too long so I didn't argue," Ned said.

"Did you get suspicious at any time?" she asked.

"No, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. But when we got to the Roxie, I kind of wondered who in their right mind would buy a piece of property like that," Ned said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Roxie has been abandoned for years. The exterior of the property was in total disarray. I brought that up and he told me that the inside was much better," Ned explained.

"How did the inside look?" Gwen asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Practically brand new. It was like the entire inside had been redone," Ned answered. "But he had added his own personal touch to it."

"Could you elaborate?" she asked.

"The building was flooded in lights so I could see everything. He had the whole stage area covered in pictures," Ned said.

"What kind of pictures?'

"They were mostly pictures of Nancy, but he also had some of his victims," Ned said.

"What did you do when you saw those pictures?" she asked.

"I couldn't do anything," Ned answered. "I didn't even have time to comprehend anything before I felt electricity coursing through my body. He had pressed a stun gun to my side."  
"So you were knocked unconscious," Gwen said.

Ned nodded.

"When you finally woke up, what did you see?" she asked.

"I was tied up along with Frank Hardy," Ned said.

"Was Mr. Shepard present?" she asked.

"Yes," Ned answered.

"Where was he?"

"He was across the stage with Nancy," Ned answered, feeling anger course through him. But he kept it under control.

"What was he doing?" Gwen asked.

Ned glanced at Nancy and saw that she was gazing at him intently. He then looked at Gwen again. "He was standing beside her and caressing her face. Frank and I started to struggle in our chairs; we didn't want that bastard touching her."

Judge Kent cleared his throat. "I will not tolerate that kind of language in my courtroom, Mr. Nickerson."

Ned glanced at the judge. "I'm sorry Your Honor."

Gwen continued with her questioning. "Was Mr. Shepard saying anything?"

Ned let out a bitter chuckle. "He was telling Nancy to choose," he said.

"Choose what?"

Ned sighed. "He wanted to show Nancy that he had a little but of humanity left in him—his words, not mine. So he wanted her to choose who was going to live and who was going to die—me or Frank."

"Thank you, Mr. Nickerson," Gwen said and went back to her seat.

Carson stood up as she sat down. "No questions, you Honor."

"Mr. Nickerson, you may step down," Judge Kent said.

Ned looked momentarily surprised. But quickly stepped down and took his seat beside Nancy.

"Ms. Lawson, you may call your next witness," Judge Kent said.

"Prosecution would like to call Frank Hardy," Gwen said, standing up again.

Frank rose from his seat and made his way to the witness stand. He remained standing as he was sworn in and then took his seat.

"Mr. Hardy, how did you become involved in the _Never Again_ murders?' Gwen asked.

"My brother, Joe, and I were called down here from our home in Bayport, New York by Ned Nickerson," Frank said.

"Why did he call you down here?" she asked.

"After Nancy had been attacked the first time, he became concerned that it may happen again," Frank said. "Knowing our past with Nancy on other cases, he figured that we may be able to help protect her and investigate."

"So you got here after the two murders?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," Frank said.

"What happened on October nineteenth?" Gwen asked.

"We had gotten the photo of our suspect from Ann's book signing so we had brought it to the hospital so we could confirm with Nikki Masters that he was the guy we were looking for," Frank said. "Nancy was trying to talk to her, but she left when we got news that Ned may have been kidnapped.

"I stuck around the hospital because we really needed Nikki to confirm her attacker was the guy that we had in the photo," Frank continued. "When she did confirm it, I called Lieutenant Hawkins to let him know that he was our guy and that I was on my way back to the station."

"Did you ever make it back to the police station?" Gwen asked.

Frank shook his head. "No. As I was about to get off the elevator at the hospital, I was attacked with a stun gun."

"Did you see the person who attacked you?" Gwen asked.

Frank shook his head again. "He had a ball cap pulled over his eyes so I couldn't get a very good look at him. Later at the theatre I saw it was the guy from the photo."

"So, who was the guy in the photo?" she asked.

Frank nodded towards Dom. "The defendant—Dominic Shepard."

"What happened at the Roxie Theatre, Mr. Hardy?" she asked.

"Everything that Ned said. I woke up and saw Mr. Shepard standing near Nancy. He then started to taunt us and told Nancy she had to choose who he was going to kill—me or Ned," Frank said. "I signaled to Nancy that I was trying to get free, so she started to stall. I finally got free as he was coming towards us and I fought with him and thought I had knocked him out, but…"

"But what?" Gwen asked.

"He must have been only stunned because as we were trying to find a way out of the theatre, he grabbed Nancy again and threatened to kill her if we tried anything," Frank said.

Gwen smiled at Frank. "Thank you, Mr. Hardy. No further questions."

Judge Kent glanced at Carson. "Mr. Drew?"

Carson stood up. "No questions, you Honor."

"All right, Mr. Hardy—you may step down," Judge Kent said. He waited until Frank sat down before he spoke again. "We will adjourn for lunch. We will resume again this afternoon at one o'clock." He banged his gavel and just like the previous day, the room rose as one as he left for his chambers.

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**Some of you may wonder why I didn't have Carson question Ned and Frank. I was talking with another author and we both kind of agreed that they were Carson's weak witnesses. There was nothing that Carson could really ask them that would plant doubt into the juror's minds.**

**And many of you are asking about Dean, and he is coming up in a couple of chapters. The next witness will be Nancy and then Dean, because he is the prosecution's strongest witness and I wanted to save him for last. I am still trying to decide if Dom will testify, so why don't you let me know what you think…**

**There are not many more chapters left in this story. I'm not sure how many I will end up with, but I do know it's coming to an end soon.**

**I'll try to update as soon as I can!**


	17. Luck Be A Lady

Landmine

Chapter 17

Nancy stared at her chicken salad with no interest in eating it at all. The only thing she had been able to do since she, Frank, Ned, and Joe entered Thelma's was to stare at her food and keep an eye on her watch.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The sound of Ned's voice caused her to jump.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said, softly.

Nancy waved him off. "You didn't—I was just off in my own little world. What were you three talking about?"

Joe smiled and looked at Frank and Ned. "Nothing, really. These two were just staring at you wondering who would say something to you first," he said, amused.

Ned and Frank each gave Joe a cold look.

Joe just shrugged it off and leaned closer to Nancy. He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Between you and me, I think Ned just won."

Nancy laughed and saw that Frank and Ned still held the same cold expressions on their faces.

Despite that, Joe didn't let up. "Really, Nan, I'm glad I look to you more as a sister. Can you imagine what it would be like if you have three guys vying for you attention?"

"That's enough, Joe," Frank growled through gritted teeth.

"Come on, Frank—he's just trying to give you two a hard time," Nancy said, chuckling.

"Yeah, but he's pushing it a little too far," Frank said.

"Well, if you didn't give me such good material to work with, we wouldn't have this problem," Joe protested.

"How about we drop this?" Ned suggested.

"Fine," Joe said. "Spoil all of my fun."

The table once again grew silent. Nancy checked her watch again and let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Ned asked again.

Nancy nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'm just ready to go back and get this over with."

"It's not going to be easy facing your dad," Joe pointed out, biting into a French fry.

Nancy shrugged. "Maybe not, but I'm ready for anything he wants to throw at me."

"I wonder why he didn't go after us on the stand," Frank mused.

Again Nancy shrugged. "You two were considered his weak witnesses. There was nothing he could really say to you that would put doubt into the jurors' minds."

She pushed aside her barely eaten chicken salad and took a sip of her iced tea. She looked at her watch again and saw only a couple of minutes had passed. "Let's get back over to the courthouse."

Joe forced as much down as he could as everyone got up from the table. Nancy barely paid attention to the three boys as they argued over the bill as she walked out into the bright sunlight.

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Nancy looked at the bailiff as she placed her right hand on the Bible and raised her left hand. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" he asked in a monotonous voice.

Nancy nodded. "I do."

"You maybe seated," he said in the same voice.

Nancy sat down and watched as Gwen approached her. "Nancy, you like to devote your time to solving mysteries, is that correct?"

"Yes," Nancy said.

"How many would you say you've solved?" Gwen asked.

Nancy shrugged one shoulder. "I really couldn't say," she admitted.

"Hundreds would be a safe assumption, would it not?" Gwen asked.

"I guess," Nancy said.

"You were friends with the first victim, Ann Granger, is that correct?" Gwen asked.

"Yes."

"In fact, you were the inspiration for her book, _Never Again_," Gwen said.

"I wouldn't say inspiration," Nancy said. "She just used me as a basis for one of her characters."

"Were you the one who discovered Ann's body?" Gwen asked.

Nancy felt a chill go through her at the word _body_. "I did, along with my boyfriend, Ned, and Ann's husband, Thomas."

"You were supposed to be meeting her for dinner?" Gwen asked.

Nancy nodded. "Yes. I wanted to take her out for a celebratory dinner for her book. Ned, Thomas, and I waited for about thirty minutes for Ann to meet us at Alberto's, and when she didn't show up we became worried. We went to her house and that's when we discovered that she had been murdered."

"Did you become involved in the case then?" Gwen asked.

"No, we called the police. I didn't want to get involved if I could help it," Nancy said.

"But Ann was your friend," Gwen said.

"And that's exactly the reason I didn't want to be involved," Nancy said. "It was too personal for me and I knew the police could handle it."

"What changed your mind?"

"Later, an envelope was placed on my doorstep," Nancy said.

"And what was in this envelope?" Gwen asked.

"A lock of hair that testing later confirmed belonged to Ann," Nancy said.

"And that made you become involved in the case?" Gwen asked.

"Yes—the killer was now getting me involved whether I wanted to or not. And now he knew where I lived and that worried me," Nancy said.

"Let's fast forward to after the second murder," Gwen said. "It was your idea that the killer was using _Never Again_ as some sort of guide for the murders?"

"Yes, that's correct," Nancy said.

"How did you come up with that idea?" Gwen asked.

"I started to read Ann's book after Brenda Carlton had been murdered. The murders in the book were correlating with the murders that were happening now," Nancy said. "And the notes that the killer left were word-for-word with the notes that were in the book."

"You told Lieutenant Hawkins that a picture was missing from your house," Gwen said.

"Yes, it was a picture of me and Ned that sat on a small table that was near my front door," Nancy said.

"When did you notice the picture went missing?" Gwen asked.

"The day of my attack," Nancy said.

"What happened that night, Nancy?"  
Nancy glanced quickly at Dom and he winked at her. She ignored him and concentrated on Gwen again. "I got in around eleven that night from a date with Ned. I was still a little freaked about the missing picture, so I went around the house and double-checked all of the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. I was going upstairs when I heard a noise coming from up there."  
Gwen crossed her arms across her chest. "What kind of noise?"

"It was as if someone was walking around but trying to mask their footsteps," Nancy said.

"What did you do?" Gwen asked.

"I started back down the stairs as quietly as I could. I wanted to get out of the house and call the police. Before I got down all the way, I tripped and fell. When I looked up I saw him at the top of the stairs," Nancy explained.

"Could you see who it was?"

Nancy shook her head. "No. The only things I could see was that he was wearing a ski mask and that he was holding a knife."  
"What did you do next, Nancy?"

"I told him to stay away from me. When he kept coming down the stairs, I grabbed a vase full of flowers and threw them at him. I didn't even see if they hit him or not before I ran for the door," Nancy said.

"Did you make it to the door?" Gwen asked.

Nancy felt her stomach flutter at the memory. "No. He tackled me to the ground. I tried to fight with him, but he kept his hold on me. He then picked me up from the ground and threw me against the wall. I tried fighting him again, but he pressed his knife to my throat."

"Did you think you were going to die?" Gwen asked in a grim voice.

"I would have been stupid to think he wasn't going to kill me. But he just kept calling me Katie and he told me I wasn't going to die right now," Nancy said.

"Why did he call you Katie?" Gwen asked.

"He said it was my name, so I didn't argue with him about it," Nancy said. "But Katie was the name of the heroine in the book."

"Did he say anything else to you?"

"He wanted to know why I wasn't scared of him. He said he had been killing people for me and he wanted to know why I didn't understand that," Nancy said.

"Then what?"

"I knew that I needed to get away from him. Without thinking, I raised my leg and kicked him as hard as I could. I pushed past him while I had the chance, but he grabbed me again. I tried to scream, but he put his hand over my mouth.

"He then said he didn't want to hurt me but I wasn't giving him much of a choice," Nancy said. "That's when I felt this sharp pain in my back—he had stabbed me with his knife. He pulled it out and I fell to the floor."

"Did he do anything else?"

"He kept saying that he didn't mean to, but I barely paid any attention to him. The next thing I heard was him on the phone with 911. After he was finished he told me he had to go but he would be back for me. As soon as he left, I crawled for my phone and I called Ned and then I passed out. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital," Nancy explained.

"What did the doctors tell you?" Gwen asked.

"Apparently whoever stabbed me knew what he was doing so he wouldn't kill me," Nancy said. "Other than the fact that I lost some blood, I was going to be okay."

"What happened in the next few days, Nancy?"

"A few hours after my attack, Nikki Masters was attacked. We started to play around with the idea that the killer may have been at the book signing, so we checked the footage and got the photo of our suspect. We went to Nikki, hoping that she saw her attacker and could identify him for us.

"Before I could get the ID from her, I got the news that Ned had been kidnapped. I wanted to go back to my house in case the kidnapper called," Nancy said.

"Did anything happen when you got back to your house?" Gwen asked.

"Not for a while," Nancy said. "Then Frank called a little later and said that Nikki had ID'd her attacker as the guy in the photo. I went to take a shower and left Joe downstairs to watch over things."

"So Joe Hardy was at the house with you?" Gwen asked.

"Yes—Frank wanted him with me in case I needed back-up," Nancy answered.

"What happened next?"

"I started calling for Joe and when he didn't answer me, I became worried. I searched the house for him and finally found him sprawled out on the kitchen floor, unconscious," Nancy said.

"Did you try to wake him up?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, but I couldn't get a response from him," Nancy said. "I then felt like someone was behind me, but before I could turn around, I was grabbed from behind and my face was covered with a rag soaked in chloroform. I managed to tear his hand away long enough to scream, but he overpowered me and then I passed out."  
"What happened when you woke up?" Gwen asked.

"I found that I was tied up in a chair. I wasn't exactly sure where I was because it was dark. Then a bright light came on above me and I saw that I was on a stage," Nancy explained.

"Did you see of hear anyone?" Gwen asked.

"I heard clapping and I turned towards it. I saw a man who was dressed in a tuxedo approaching me," Nancy said.

"Were you able to see his face?"

"Yes."

"Is that man in this room?"

"Yes—it was Dominic Shepard."

"Did he say or do anything to you?" Gwen asked.

"He just kept calling me Katie and kept talking to me. I told him that wasn't my name, but he wouldn't listen," Nancy said. "Then I asked him why he was killing so many innocent people and he told me they weren't innocent."

"Did he tell you why he killed them?"

"Yes," Nancy said, glancing at the jury. "He said he killed Ann just to do it. He wanted to see how many people her death would impact. And he was mad about the ending of her book and he wanted her to know that."

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't think that Katie should have lived in the book and he wanted to fix that," Nancy said. "I asked why he chose me to go after and he said it was because he saw me at the book signing with Ann. He knew I had a lot of connections in River Heights."

"What about Brenda?" Gwen asked.

"He said he killed her as a favor for me," Nancy said.

"Could you explain?" Gwen asked.

"He said he saw how upset she made me, so he had to kill her," Nancy said simply. She watched as Frazier Carlton tensed in his seat and glared at Dom.

"What happened after that?" Gwen asked.

"I wasn't going to let him kill me without a fight, so I wanted something to distract him. I saw that he hated it when I made him angry so I decided to go for that," Nancy said.

"What did you do?" Gwen asked.

"I made a comment to him that he didn't like and he slapped me," Nancy said. "He wanted to show me that he was still in control so he pulled out the picture of me and Ned that was stolen from my house. He then said he had a surprise for me and raised the back curtains to reveal Ned and Frank in the same position as me."

"He then wanted you to choose who he was going to kill next," Gwen said.

Carson jumped up from his seat. "Objection! Leading the witness!"

"Sustained," Judge Kent said, looking at Gwen.

"Nancy, what happened when Dom pulled back the curtains?" Gwen asked.

"He wanted me to choose who was going to die between Frank and Ned. He said if I didn't make the choice, he would do it for me," Nancy said.

"Did you make a choice?" Gwen asked.

"Yes—I chose Ned," Nancy said. "I saw that Frank had gotten free from his ropes so I knew that Dom would never kill Ned because Frank would stop him. Frank wrestled with him for a while and was finally able to get the upper hand. He freed me and Ned and we looked for a way to get out because he had all of the doors locked."

"But Mr. Shepard stopped you before you could get away," Gwen said.

"I guess I wasn't paying attention, because the next thing I knew he had grabbed me again and had the knife to my throat," Nancy said.

"How did you finally get away from him?" Gwen asked.

"With luck," Nancy admitted. "If the police hadn't showed up when they did, I wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"So, with the arrest of Mr. Shepard, that was the end of your troubles, right?" Gwen asked.

"Hardly," Nancy said. "After his arrest, he sent me a note saying we would pick up where we left off. So I went to the jail to confront him and he attacked me again."

"From the inside of a jail cell?" Gwen asked, incredulously.

"Yes."

"Nancy, if Dominic Shepard were to be found innocent, do you think he would come after you again?" Gwen asked.

Nancy took a deep breath and looked right at Dom. "I have no doubt in my mind that he will continue to come after me until he kills me."

"Thank you, Nancy."

Carson stood up. "No questions, your Honor."

"Miss Drew...you may step down."

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**Author's Note: Again, thank you for the wonderful reviews! They make me so happy every time I read them! I didn't have Carson question Nancy because after talking it over with another author we both felt there was nothing he could really say to her unless it was just a personal attack against her—letting out his pent-up frustration towards her wjile she was in a vulnerable position.**

**Amy- I understand what you're saying about some of the aspects of the trial and I respect that. I am an amateur when it comes to writing anything trial-related, so I know I have missed a few things that should be evident. I know that witnesses are not allowed in the courtroom if they are about to testify—I just kind of forgot that as I was writing it. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, though and I am glad that you are enjoying this story.**

**Dean will be coming up next, so not to worry. And yes, Dom will be testifying so that oughta be exciting!**

**Let me know what you think!**


	18. Mr Sayers Goes to Town

**Author's Note: Yes, it's the moment you've been waiting for...Dean's testimony. Sure, it may not be that long, but I think it's pretty good. But of course, you will let me know for sure!**

**Let me know what you think!**

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Landmine

Chapter 18

"Ms. Lawson, does the prosecution have any more witnesses?" Judge Kent asked.

"Yes, you Honor," Gwen said as she stood up. "Prosecution calls Dean Sayers to the stand."

There was a mixture of confusion and surprise as the double doors to the courtroom opened and everyone turned to look at the new arrival. Nancy glanced quickly at Dom and was ecstatic to see a look of utter surprise on his up-until-now neutral face.

Dean nervously made his way to the witness stand, trying his best to keep his eyes forward and not on the dozens of people who were watching his every move.

He was sworn in and sat down, his eyes focused solely on Gwen.

"Could you please state your name for the court?" Gwen asked as she approached him.

"Anthony Dean Sayers," Dean said, his voice slightly jumpy.

"Mr. Sayers, is it true that you were Mr. Shepard's cell mate?" Gwen asked.

"I wouldn't exactly say cell mate," Dean said. "I was in the cell next to his."

"I see," Gwen said, nodding. "Did the two of you ever talk?"

"Yes," Dean said, licking his lips nervously.

"What did you talk about?"

"He talked about the women he had murdered and the other he had tried to kill," Dean said.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.

"He was gloating about how he had been able to do it and how proud he was of himself for doing it," Dean said. He intentionally avoided Dom's withering glare. He knew he was making an enemy out of Dom, but he had to do this, no matter what the cost may be.

"Did he ever tell you why?" Gwen asked.

"Why what?" Dean asked, confused.

"Why he killed those women," Gwen clarified.

"Because he wanted to," Dean said matter-of-factly.

"Did the two of you talk about anything else?" Gwen asked.

Dean nodded. "He wanted me to do something for him."

"What did he want you to do for him, Mr. Sayers?" Gwen asked.

"He wanted me to scare someone for him," Dean said.

"Who?" Gwen asked.

"One of his victims—Nancy Drew," Dean said.

Gwen glanced at the jury and saw they were gazing at Dean intently. "What did he want you to do to Miss Drew?"

"He wanted me to hurt her a little—just enough to scare her. He said not to do anything too bad to her because he would take care of her when he got out," Dean explained.

"Did you agree to do this, Mr. Sayers?" Gwen asked.

Dean lowered his head in shame. "Yes," he said softly.

"Could you repeat that?" Gwen asked, straining to hear him.

"Yes," he said, slightly louder.

"Why?" Gwen asked.

"Because he made it sound like she was a bad person," Dean said. "He said things to me that made me feel important."

"Like what?" Gwen asked.

"He said I would prove myself to be a man if I did it," Dean said. "He said I would be hailed as a hero."  
"Did he ever say anything else to you, Mr. Sayers?" Gwen asked.

Dean nodded. "He said that he would never stop. He said that when he got out, he would continue to kill and there was no one that could stop him."

There were some slightly audible gasps throughout the courtroom. Gwen nodded at Dean and said, "No further questions."

Carson rose up from his seat immediately and pounced on Dean like a ravenous lion. "Mr. Sayers, what were you in jail for the night you talked to my client?"

"Violating a restraining order and stalking," Dean answered.

"Who pressed these charges against you?" Carson asked.

"My ex-girlfriend," Dean said.

"What was the outcome of these charges?" Carson asked.

"Objection!" Gwen protested. "Where is he going with this line of questioning?"

"Mr. Drew?" Judge Kent raised an eyebrow at Carson.

"I think the jury has a right to be privy to this information," Carson stated.

Judge Kent thought for a moment. "I'll allow it," he finally said.

"Your Honor!" Gwen cried.

"I said I'd allow it, Ms. Lawson," he said in a firm voice. He shot her with a warning glance and she reluctantly sat back down.

"Mr. Drew, please continue," Judge Kent said.

"Thank you, your Honor," Carson said politely. He turned to look at Dean again. "Mr. Sayers, what was the outcome of those charges?"

"I was put on two years' probation and I had to serve thirty hours of community service," Dean answered.

"Were charges filed against you after the attack on my—" Carson stopped himself before he could finish. "Miss Drew," he corrected himself.

"No, they were dropped," Dean said.

"Because you agreed to testify against my client," Carson said.

Gwen jumped up again. "Objection! Leading the witness!"

"Sustained," Judge Kent said in a bored voice.

"I'll rephrase," Carson said. "Why were those charges dropped?"

"I agreed to testify for the prosecution," Dean answered.

"Did the police work out a deal for you?" Carson asked.

"Yes," Dean said. "If I agreed to testify against Dominic Shepard, no charges would be filed against me."

"Everything that you told the court today about Dominic Shepard, was it all the truth?" Carson asked.

"Of course it was," Dean said defiantly.

Carson shrugged. "People testify for many reasons, Mr. Sayers. What was yours?"

"I wanted to help," Dean protested.

"Or were you looking for your fifteen minutesof fame?" Carson asked.

"Your Honor!" Gwen protested loudly.

"Mr. Drew…" Judge Kent said.

Carson looked up at Judge Kent with a slight smile. "No further questions."

"Mr. Sayers, you may step down," Judge Kent said. "Ms. Lawson?"

Gwen stood up, still slightly angry. "The prosecution rests."

"We will resume tomorrow morning at nine o'clock with the defense," Judge Kent said. He banged his gavel and left the room as everyone rose.

"How are we doing?" Nancy asked Gwen, slightly worried.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Nancy," Gwen said, sighing. "You father has done an incredible job placing doubt into the jurors' minds."

"What happens tomorrow?" Nancy asked.

"Tomorrow I get to play rough," Gwen said. "Dominic Shepard is his only witness."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Nancy said.

Gwen smiled a brilliant smile. "You bet your ass it is," she said. She picked up her briefcase and started to walk away.

But she had one last thing to say before she walked out of the room. "Tomorrow, I'm going to make that man wish he had never been born."

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	19. Dominic Unleashed

Landmine

Chapter 19

**Author's Note: I see that many of you didn't check out my last chapter, so before you begin this one, I ask that you check that one out—it is Dean's testimony. **

**And now we are on to Dom's testimony!**

**As always, let me know what you think…good or bad! (I'm a big girl…I can take it!)**

"Mr. Drew, are you ready to call your first witness?" Judge Kent asked after he had been seated.

"Yes, your Honor," Carson said as he stood up. "Defense would like to call Dominic Shepard to the stand."

There was an uncomfortable silence throughout the courtroom as the bailiff opened a door and escorted Dom in. After he had been sworn in, he took a seat and waited for Carson to begin.

"Mr. Shepard, are you guilty of the crimes you are being accused of?" Carson asked.

"No, I'm not," Dom said without hesitation.

"Many people have testified against you and have claimed that you were responsible for the murders and attacks," Carson said. "Are you calling them liars?"

"No," Dom said.

"Then what are you saying, Mr. Shepard?" Carson asked.

"I'm not calling anyone a liar," Dom said. "But I'm saying I wasn't the one who committed those crimes. That was someone else entirely."

"I'm confused, Mr. Shepard," Carson said.

"When those crimes were committed, I wasn't myself. It was as if someone else had taken control of me and I was merely a puppet," Dom explained.

"What about the book, _Never Again_?" Carson asked.

"It was Leo's story. He didn't like how it was written," Dom said. "It wasn't done right and he needed to fix it."

"Leo?" Carson asked. He looked at Dom, startled, but quickly recovered. _This is not what we went over when we went over his testimony_, he thought. "You're talking about Leo DiSteffano—the killer in the book?"

"Yes," Dom said.

"Are you saying that Leo controlled you?" Carson asked.

"Yes," Dom answered again.

"And you were correcting the errors in the book?" Carson asked.

Dom shook his head. "Leo was."

"How long has Leo been controlling you?" Carson asked.

"For a few months," Dom answered.

"Is he in control of you now?" Carson asked.

"No—not right now," Dom said.

Nancy sat in her seat, staring at Dom in disbelief. _What the hell is going on here?_ she thought to herself.

"Would you ever hurt anyone, Mr. Shepard?" Carson asked.

Dom shook his head. "Never."

"Has Leo ever talked to you?" Carson asked.

"Yes," Dom said. "He kept saying that we had to do something about the book. He was always so angry—especially at Katie," he said, looking directly at Nancy.

Nancy tensed and felt a hand on her left arm. She looked over to see Ned slightly shaking his head.

"Why was Leo so angry?" Carson asked. "Did he tell you?"

"No," Dom said, shaking his head. "He wouldn't tell me anything. He just told me who needed to be killed and when."

All of a sudden Dom winced in pain and put his head down.

"What's wrong, Mr. Shepard?" Carson asked, concerned.

"It's him," he said through gritted teeth.

"Him who?" Carson asked, approaching him.

"Leo—he wants to speak," Dom said.

"What does he want to say?" Carson asked.

Dom's voice got slightly deeper. "Katie," he said, looking up at Nancy again. "Katie, I can't stop. Why don't you understand that?"

"Objection!" Gwen jumped up from her seat, blocking Dom's view of Nancy.

"Move out of the way—I have to talk to Katie," Dom said, menacingly.

"Objection!" Gwen said again in a more forceful voice.

"Mr. Drew, get your client under control," Judge Kent warned.

"Katie, you have to forgive me. It's the only way I can stop," Dom said louder.

"Your Honor!" Gwen said, throwing up her hands in despair.

"Mr. Drew…" Judge Kent said sternly.

Just then Dom let out a frustrated yell and grabbed his head. The room broke into a frenzy as everyone started talking at once.

Judge Kent banged his gavel repeatedly. "Order! I will have order in this courtroom! This is not a circus!"

The loud roar eventually died down to frantic whispers and, finally, silence.

"Mr. Drew, is your client able to proceed?" Judge Kent asked, slightly flustered.

"I—" Carson began.

"I'm okay," Dom said in a strained voice. He looked up at the judge. "I'm terribly sorry, your Honor."

Judge Kent fixed Dom with a steely gaze. "Mr. Shepard, you better find a way to get control of yourself. I will not have you address anyone in this room except me, Mr. Drew, Ms. Lawson, and the jury. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your Honor," Dom said.

"Good." Judge Kent looked at Carson. "You may now proceed, Mr. Drew."

Carson nodded and looked at Dom. "Mr. Shepard, do you regret what you've done?"

"Yes—I live with this regret every day of my life," Dom said. He looked at the jury. "I really am sorry for the grief that I have caused the victims and their families. I really am a good person; I just want another chance to show that."

"Thank you, Mr. Shepard. No further questions," Carson said and returned to his seat.

Gwen got up and didn't waste any time. "Mr. Shepard, do you really expect the jury to buy that story you just fed them?"

"I'm only telling the truth, Ms. Lawson," Dom said innocently.

"You're telling us that some fictional character in a book made you go on a rampage," Gwen said. "That's a load of crap and you know it."  
"Objection!" Carson said.

"Strike that last statement," Gwen said. "Mr. Shepard, where are you from?"

"Philadelphia," Dom answered.

"How long have you been in River Heights?" Gwen asked.

"For a few months," Dom said.

"Would you say since about the time _Never Again_ was released?" she asked.

"Yes, I guess so," he said.

"What was your childhood like?" she asked.

"It was okay, I guess," Dom said, shrugging.

"You were orphaned at a young age, is that correct?" Gwen asked.

"Yes?"

"What happened to your parents?"

"My dad left us when I was born and my mom died when I was young," Dom answered.

"Were you adopted?" she asked.

"Eventually by a family that just wanted me for the monthly government checks," Dom said.

"Were you ever abused as a child?" she asked.

"Was I ever beat on—yes, occasionally. But most of the time they just forgot about me until the social workers showed up," he said.

"Do you hold anger towards your adoptive parents?" she asked.

"To be honest, I don't even think about them anymore," Dom said with a lopsided grin.

"Mr. Shepard, were you at the book signing?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why were you there?"

"The same reason everyone else was there—I'm a big mystery fan," Dom answered.

"So you weren't there to get ideas for the murders?" Gwen asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dom laughed. "Of course not. And if I was, do you honestly think I would admit that?"

"Actually, yes I do," Gwen said, giving him her own smile. "You're under oath, Mr. Shepard."

Dom sighed. "I was there to get my copy of _Never Again _signed."

Gwen went to her table and grabbed a book. "You mean this copy?" she asked, holding the book up.

"If it has my name in it, then yes," Dom answered in a bored voice.

"This is the copy the police confiscated from your apartment, complete with notations in the margins," Gwen said. "Why did you write in your book, Mr. Shepard?"

"They are just some notes I made in it," Dom said. "Everyone does it."

Gwen nodded. "That's true, but not everyone writes the name of murder victims and things like 'Katie must die' in the margins," she said.

"Look, I said before that wasn't me," Dom said.

"Right." Gwen nodded. "It was Leo."

"Yes," Dom said.

"Explain to me, Mr. Shepard, how a book character is able to take control of a seemingly healthy human being," Gwen said.

"I don't know how it happened," Dom said. "I just know it wasn't me."

"So it wasn't you who put a knife through Ann Granger?" she asked.

"No."

"And it wasn't you who strangled Brenda Carlton?" she asked.

"No."

"And it wasn't you who tried to kill Nancy Drew on three different occasions?"

"_No_," he said more forcefully.

"And it wasn't you who tried to kill Nikki Masters, Ned Nickerson, and Frank Hardy?" she asked.

"_No_!"

"What about Dean Sayers? Is everything you told him a lie?" Gwen asked.

"That wasn't me," Dom said. "That was—"

"That was Leo," Gwen answered for him.

"Objection!" Carson said. "Please instruct Ms. Lawson to allow my client to answer her questions."

"Ms. Lawson," Judge Kent said.

"I apologize, your Honor," Gwen said. "Mr. Shepard, if you're as innocent as you claim, why didn't you ever turn yourself in?'

"I couldn't," Dom said.

"Why not?"

"Leo wouldn't let me," Dom answered.

"I think you could have, Mr. Shepard," Gwen said. "You could have stopped at any time that you wanted. You chose not to."

"No."

"The fact is, Mr. Shepard, it was your hand that committed those murders, no matter whom you claim may have been in control," Gwen said. "You did those terrible things and now you have to live with the consequences."

"It wasn't me!" Dom snapped.

"No further questions," she said.

"Mr. Shepard, you may step down," Judge Kent said and nodded at the bailiff. "Mr. Drew, do you have any other witnesses?"

Carson stood up. "No, you Honor. The defense rests."

"All right. We will take a short recess for lunch and will reconvene here at one o'clock for closing arguments."

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**A big shout-out to my betas! You girls are the best!**


	20. In Closing

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Landmine

Chapter 20

Nancy barely made it out of the courtroom before she whirled on the Hardys and Ned. "What the hell was that in there?" she demanded.

The three boys stared at her, not daring to give her an answer.

"He put on a good act, I'll give him that," Joe commented.

"And that's exactly what it was! The jury was in there practically eating every word of it up!" she exclaimed, exasperated. Several people were starting to watch her, but she didn't care She was upset and she wanted everyone to know it.

"Nancy, you need—"

"Frank Hardy, if you are about to tell me that I need to calm down, I will not hesitate to knock the crap out of you," Nancy said, eyes flashing angrily.

Frank held up his hands in surrender and took a step back.

"He's going to get away with this," Nancy said more to herself.

"Nancy, you don't know that," Ned said quietly.

"Call it intuition," Nancy said. "And that's rarely let me down before, has it?"

Ned opened his mouth to say something else, but quickly shut it. There was no point in arguing with Nancy when she was fired up like this.

"I've got to get out of here," she said.

The three boys watched her retreating figure, not even thinking about following her.

Finally, Frank couldn't stand it any longer. "Should someone go after her?" he asked, softly.

"What? Are you volunteering?" Ned asked.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Ned," Frank said, annoyed.

Ned ignored him. "Just leave her alone," he said. "It's what she wants."

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"MS. Lawson, we will begin with your closing argument," Judge Kent said when court finally resumed.

"Thank you, you Honor," Gwen said. She smoothed her skirt as she stood up and approached the jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we have heard a lot of compelling and heart-wrenching testimony these past few days. The defendant, Dominic Shepard, has terrorized the town of River Heights for far too long. His actions have caused a lot of people so much grief and what he has stolen from these victims and their families cannot be remedied with an apology.

"Dominic Shepard knew exactly what he was doing when he savagely murdered those women and attempted to murder other innocent victims. He may pin the blame on a fictional book character, but keep in mind it's a _fictional book character_. This is someone who is not even real, but he is doing this because he has nothing else to lose. He is looking for any way out of the hole he has dug for himself, and he will go by any means necessary to achieve this.

"He deserves to be punished for the crimes he has committed. You have heard irrefutable testimony from his victims and the police. The defense has tried to convince you to doubt the witnesses and the integrity of our police force. Do not be fooled by this trickery—he is looking for any way to sway you in his favor."

Gwen took a deep breath. "Do not let your sympathies go towards Mr. Shepard; let it got to the victims and their families. Show them that there is still justice in this world. Help them finally get the closure they so desperately seek and find Dominic Shepard guilty of the crimes that face him."

She glanced at each member of the jury, maintaining eye contact with every single one. She then walked back to her seat, congratulating herself on a job well-done.

Carson waited a few seconds before he rose from his seat. He buttoned his blazer and then walked slowly towards the jury.

"Ms. Lawson certainly gives a strong argument, but she is wrong about Mr. Shepard. He is a man that is simply misunderstood. Much of the testimony cannot be trusted because there is so much emotion behind it. The witnesses are all distraught and they are simply looking for someone to shoulder the blame.

"Mr. Shepard has testified that he would never hurt anyone, much less take a life. You have heard about his troubled childhood and the suffering he had to endure growing up. All he ever wanted was a chance, but no one would ever give it to him. And he is now asking you—begging you—for that chance.

"He is simply a victim of circumstance. Yes, he was at the book signing, but is that the reason he should be charged with the crimes? Many people were at that book signing, but did the police ever bring any of them in for questioning? No. The singled in on Mr. Shepard, and they were not going to rest until they had him.

"The prosecution wants you to believe that this is an open-and-shut case, but it isn't. It goes much deeper than that. As you are deliberating, I ask you to weigh all of the evidence and talk it out. There is too much conflicting testimony for you to figure out. Give Dominic Shepard a chance and find him innocent of all charges."

Carson looked at every juror, nodding at them. He held their gaze for a few long moments before returning to his seat.

Everyone remained seated as Judge Kent gave the jurors their instructions. After they left the room to deliberate, he adjourned the court.

"Now, comes the hard part," Frank commented as they stood up.

"Yep—waiting," Nancy agreed.

"Do you think it will take long?" Joe asked.

"I don't know," Nancy said. "I kind of hope not."

"After those arguments, I don't see how the jury can't sway with Gwen," Ned said. "Gwen practically wiped the floor with Carson."

"We may think so, but, unfortunately, it's not for us to decide," Nancy said, glumly.

"So what do we do now?" Joe asked.

Nancy sighed. "We go home and wait."

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The wait was over the next morning. Nancy was just getting out of the shower when the phone rang.

"The jury reached a verdict," Gwen said breathlessly.

"Is that good that it was that fast?" Nancy asked, surprised. The jury had barely been in deliberations.

Gwen's voice got a little worried. "I'm not really sure. Just be at the courthouse in an hour."

Nancy hung up with her and quickly called Ned and the Hardys. She told the, what Gwen had told her while she dressed. Within thirty minutes, she was entering the courtroom where she was met with a flurry of activity.

The Hardys arrived ten minutes after she did and Ned five minutes after them. No one said a word as the room continued to fill with reporters and spectators. Finally, at nine-fifteen, Judge Kent walked in and the room got eerily quiet.

After the jury had been seated, Judge Kent cleared his throat. The bailiff took a sheet of paper from the jury foreman and handed it to the judge, who had now put on his reading glasses. Judge Kent's face remained neutral as he read over it. He then handed the paper back to the bailiff who, in turn, returned it to the foreman.

"The defendant will please rise," Judge Kent said, taking off his reading glasses.

Carson and Dom stood in perfect unison, eyes focused solely on the jury.

"Mr. Foreman…has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Kent asked.

A short, balding man in khakis and a bright polo shirt stood up. "Yes, we have, your Honor."

"What say you?"

The foreman cleared his throat and looked at the sheet of paper in his slight trembling hands.

"We, the jury, find the defendant, Dominic Shepard…"

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**Author's Note: Cruel? Very possibly. But you had to know I couldn't come right out and tell you what it was! Just stick around and you will find out in the next chapter...Oh, and the final chapter will be posted within the next few days!**


	21. The End is Near

Landmine

Chapter Twenty-one

**Well, here you go folks! The final chapter! **

**Stay tuned for author's notes at the very end of the story!**

There was tense silence throughout the room as the foreman read the verdict. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Dominic Shepard, not guilty of all charges, with the recommendation that he receive psychiatric care."

The room remained silent for a full five seconds before it burst into chaos. Judge Kent tried to regain control of the room, but it wasn't happening. Not wanting to fight it, he spoke over everyone and thanked the jury for their time and service.

Nancy sat in her seat, not even sure if she was breathing. She remained in her seat, staring unblinkingly at Dom as he smiled and shook Carson's hand. She barely even heard her name being called.

"Nancy!"

"Nancy!"

Finally she felt hands shaking her. She looked to see three pairs of eyes staring at her with concern.

"Say something, Nan," Ned pleaded.

Nancy opened her mouth, but words refused to form for her. Finally, she was able to mutter a sentence. "Tell me the jury just said he was guilty," she croaked.

Ned grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "If I told you that, I would be lying to you, Nancy."

Nancy shook her head. "No, this is a dream—a nightmare. There is no way they just found him innocent."  
"I'm sorry, Nan," Frank said.

"This isn't real," Nancy said, looking at the boys, silently pleading with them. "There is no way this can be real."

Nancy tore her gaze away from them as Dom walked by and flashed a triumphant smile at her. Nancy remained her seat, her limbs refusing to work for her. She barely realized that Carson had come over to stand beside her.

"Nancy—"

All of a sudden her eyes flashed fiercely and she looked up at him. "I blame you for this," she said in a deadly calm voice. "It is because of you that monster just walked out of this room a free man."

Carson flinched. "Nancy, I—"

"Don't even begin to tell me that you are sorry," Nancy said. "This is not something that can be fixed with an apology."

She stood up. "It looks like you still have your perfect record, Dad." She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the room before anyone could say anything to her.

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Nancy was still reeling from the day's events when she walked into her empty house later that night. She leaned against the door and let out the biggest sigh she could muster. To say this was arguably the worst day of her life would be an understatement.

Not only did a killer get released today but she was pretty sure her relationship with her father was pretty much beyond repair at the moment.

Ever since she stormed out to the courtroom, she had been driving around aimlessly, not really caring where she was going. Ned and the Hardys had called her several times, and after ignoring them for the majority of the day, she finally told them to just leave her alone and let her deal. She was glad when they didn't argue.

She turned on a few lights and made her way to the kitchen. She needed a caffeine fix and she needed it desperately. She was still extremely upset from the events in the courtroom. _What were the jurors possibly thinking?_ She wondered as she grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and took a few grateful sipped. She looked down on the counter and noticed a note from her father.

"'I figured it would be better if I stayed at the River Heights Inn tonight. Call me if you need anything,'" Nancy read aloud. _Not likely_, she thought as she crumbled up the paper and threw it away as the doorbell rang.

"Please just go away," she softly pleaded.

Her response was another musical note from the doorbell.

"I see you feel strongly about this," Nancy muttered as she put down her soda. She went to the door and opened it to see a man's back facing her.

"Can I help—" Her stomach lurched when he turned around to face her. She quickly tried to slam the door, but he stopped it before she succeeded. He pushed against it hard, causing her to fall to the ground. She scurried to her feet as he closed the door softly behind him and locked it.

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. But that was hard, considering she was talking to the man who had tried to kill her three times already.

Dom smiled at her cruelly. "You don't look to happy to see me."

"Should I be?" Nancy asked. She looked around for something to use as a weapon when her eyes fell on the fireplace. She ran to it and grabbed a poker, wielding it like a baseball bat.

Dom chuckled. "Do you really think that's going to help you?" he asked, amused.

"You're pretty stupid for coming here, Dom, considering you just beat a murder rap," Nancy said.

"I'm not going to let something like that stop me, Nancy," Dom said. "You should know that."  
"That was some stunt you pulled during the trial," Nancy said. She gripped the poker tighter as he took a deliberate step towards her.

"How did you like that act?" Dom asked, pleased with himself. Then he shrugged. "It's too bad you aren't as gullible as that pathetic jury."

"You seemed genuinely surprised when Dean showed up," Nancy said, moving slightly to her left.

Dom followed her with his eyes. "I guess you could say I was. But I'll take care of Deanie when I'm through with you."

"What makes you think you can kill me this time?" Nancy asked. "I mean, you've already tried and failed three times."

Dom smiled at her. "I have all the time in the world, love," he said. "And you don't have anyone here that can ride to your rescue. We're all alone."  
"The police are out there, watching my house," Nancy lied. She knew they weren't because she had refused to let them, even after B.D. had begged her. She just hoped Dom would believe her.

The smile remained on his face. "No, they're not. I've been watching this house myself almost all day."

Nancy swallowed hard. She was running out of ways to talk him out of this. "You're not going to get away with this, Dom. I don't know what made that jury think you were innocent, but there is no way in hell you'll be able to get off again."

Dom shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Your dad got me off today," he said. "Who's to say he couldn't do it again?"

Nancy glared at him and he tilted his head at her. "I think we've talked long enough now, don't you agree?" He reached behind his back and pulled out a long knife.

He smiled at her when he saw her fearful expression. "The cops took away my other one so I had to go out and buy a new toy." He looked it up and down appreciatively. "I was thinking of you when I picked it out, Nancy." He looked up at her. "Aren't you flattered?"

All of a sudden, he lunged at her, the knife raised above his head. She swung the poker at him and it hit him in the legs, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to the ground. She threw down the poker and took off in the opposite direction, pulling things down behind her, in hopes that she would trip him.

She was heading for the front door when she saw him get up and start hobbling towards her, pushing things out of his way. She bolted for the stairs, taking them two at a time and ran straight for her room. She could escape from her window and call for help.

She heard pounding footsteps behind her as she slammed the door closed and bolted it. She quickly ran to the window to get it open as he began pounding violently on the door.

"These games of yours are something left to be desired, Nancy!" he yelled.

Nancy ignored him and undid the latch to the window.

"You're only making it worse on yourself, Nancy!" he screamed. "When I'm through with you, I'm going after every single person that you love! Do you understand me?"

He started to ram the door as she pushed open the window. She glanced behind her quickly when a sudden burst of inspiration hit her. She could hide in the closet and make him _think _she escaped from the window!

Nancy didn't waste any more time thinking. She opened the window the rest of the way and quietly made a beeline for her closet. She had just closed the door behind her when he burst through the bedroom door. She had to will herself not to make a noise.

She heard his carpeted footsteps as he approached the window. He let out a muttered curse. "Stupid move, Nancy."

She held her breath as he hobbled away. She waited a full minute before she emerged from her hiding spot and entered the quiet hallway. She stood completely still, listening for the slightest sound to tell her where Dom might be. Hearing nothing, she tore down the stairs and raced for the door. She had just managed to turn the lock when she was grabbed from behind.

"Neat trick, Nancy," he said, coldly. "You didn't honestly think I would fall for it, did you?"

Nancy ignored him and rammed her elbow into his stomach. He grunted in pain and threw her to the ground.

"I can see you want to do this the hard way," he said, breathing heavily.

Nancy turned around and started to crawl away, but he grabbed her ankle and yanked her back towards him. She turned on her back just as he straddled her.

"Get off of me!" she screamed.

Dom chuckled, with no hint of amusement. "You messed up, Nancy," he growled as he held the knife to her throat. "I was willing to make this fast for you, but I can see you want it slowly. Don't worry—I'm always willing to change my plans to accommodate you."

Nancy swallowed hard and felt the knife dig into her throat. "If you're going to kill me, do it already," she hissed.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" he asked, a maniacal look in his blue eyes.

He leaned closer to her stroking her face, just as the front door burst open.

"Get off of her!"

Nancy instantly recognized the voice of B.D. Hawkins.

Dom smiled as he pressed the knife deeper against her throat Nancy felt warm blood begin to trickle down the side of her neck. "You're just in time to say good-bye to our lovely friend, Lieutenant."

"Put down the knife, Shepard," B.D. warned. "I will not hesitate to shoot you."

"Let's test that theory out, shall we?" Dom asked. He held his hand on her throat as he raised the knife above his head. Just as he was bringing it down, two shots pierced through the quiet night. Dom's eyes widened, but he still wore a chilling smile as the knife dropped from his hand and he fell on top of Nancy.

B.D. didn't wasted any time pulling Dom off of Nancy. She scooted away from his as quickly as she could, her hand on her throat. "Is he dead?' she asked, anxiously.

B.D. felt for a pulse. "Unfortunately, no." He held out his hand to her and helped her off the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her bloody neck.

Nancy nodded shakily as she looked down at Dom. "It's just a small cut," she said.

B.D. nodded and pulled out his cell phone, requesting an ambulance and backup. Nancy slowly stepped over the mess in the living room and sank down on the couch.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but what are you doing here?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I was worried about you after what happened at the courthouse, so I decided to check on you," B.D. said. "I was walking up when I heard you scream."

Nancy smiled weakly. "Thanks."

B.D smiled back at her. "Anytime."

Within ten minutes, her house was surrounded by a flurry of activity as the paramedics came to take Dom to the hospital and the officers began to gather evidence and question her.

She wasn't sure what time it was when they started to leave. She just knew that B.D. was still sitting by her when his cell phone rang. She watched him as he conversed with the person on the other end of the line.

"What is it?" she asked when he hung up.

He looked at her and let a small smile tug at his lips. "That was the hospital," he answered.

Nancy looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Dominic Shepard was just pronounced dead."

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**Author's Note: I'm just going to stand far away from my computer until you stop lashing out at me…just let me know when you are finished…**

**Okay, so I either made you very happy or very upset by the ending of this story. But as I always say, I'm not in it to please everyone; I'm here to entertain. You may have questions about the verdict, but I moved it in the way I felt was right for the story. I was really battling it—you can ask a few of the authors on this site to confirm that. Just so you know, Nancy and Ned are still together in this story. I'm sorry to all of you die-hard Frank/Nancy fans, but keep reading and I will make it up to you!**

**As always, let me know what you think of this chapter and the story as a whole!**

**Oh, and on another note…I am currently working on another story (and yes, it is Frank/Nancy) and the first chapter will be posted within a few days. So I hope you stick around and maybe I'll see you guys then!**

**Thanks again to my wonderful betas…this story would not have made it if it were not for you!**


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